


A New Chapter Begins

by Stacysmash



Series: University Romances [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Canon Compliant, M/M, Original Character(s), Post-Canon, Rare Pairings, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-01-16 12:59:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 34,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12343176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/pseuds/Stacysmash
Summary: “Now now, I know this little guy doesn’t look like much, but I assure you, from personal experience, you don’t want to overestimate him.”Hinata brightened at the appearance of his old mentor from his first training camp in Tokyo. “Kuroo-San! I didn’t know you were on our team!”Kuroo chuckled and patted his head, “Sure am, and now let’s see if you’ve learned any new tricks since our last battle” he ended with a wink. Hinata nodded his head vigorously.“Chibi-chan?” A new and slightly familiar voice carried from just beyond their group. Hinata turned and gave a little gasp.“Grand King?”





	1. Chapter 1

The campus of Todai was a flurry of activity with families dropping off their first year university students and upperclassman reconnecting and checking out the new crop. One particular dorm room on the Shonan campus contained it’s own personal tornado, a flash of orange hair flitting all over in the small space, making his side of the room his own. Hinata Shouyou was humming a made up song about his dorm room, rolled up volleyball posters tumbling out of his arms when a loud thump against his door made him shriek and leap up onto his bed. With his arms in defensive mode, he readied himself for a fight when the door flew open and a tall student and an avalanche of luggage falls onto the floor.  
“Ow ow ow ow ow” he whined as the intruder tried to lift himself up amongst the clutter. He glanced up at Hinata’s frozen martial arts movement on his bed and gave a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. You must be Hinata-kun?”  
Hinata brightened and scurried down to help the clumsy invader off of the floor. “Yup, Hinata Shouyou! Are you Ono Kenjiro? Nice to meet you!” After their proper introductions, Hinata glanced at the Ono’s belongings. “Do you need any help with anything?”  
Ono shook his head. “Nah nah, don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’re still working on your stuff, right?”  
Hinata glanced behind at his side. His parents had left him an hour ago, and while he had been working constantly on getting things put away, he kept getting distracted and not much had actually been put away or organized. “Ha, yeah I guess I should get back to it”.  
They both set to work, chatting back and forth to get to know each other. They both knew that the university had put them together based on similar interests...particularly the fact that both were scouted for the university volleyball team.  
“Hey, Hinata-kun, what position do you play? Libero, pinch server?”  
Hinata hopped up to sit up on his bed as he faced his roommate, who was now focusing on putting his clothes away into his dresser.  
“I’m a middle blocker, actually!”  
Ono looked up at him in surprise, but in the next instant flashed him a friendly smile, “Awesome! I’m a Wing Spiker myself, but I’m also known for my serves.” He swaggered his shoulders a bit with pride, and went back to his clothes.  
Hinata huffed in amusement. He had yet to see Ono play, but he had a feeling with his personality that he was a bit of a mix of his friends from Nekoma, Inuoka and Lev- a dash of cockiness, yet with the skills to back it up, and bursting with positive enthusiasm. He was certain they would get along great.  
Hinata scratched the back of his neck, “That’s good, I’ve gotten pretty solid at blocking, spiking and receiving, but serves have always been a bit of a weak point for me.”  
Ono nodded, “Yup, it’s not easy, but this year’s a great chance to work on some of our weaker points, right?” He perked up as he turned to Hinata. “Hey, you know I’m not the best at receiving, maybe you can give me some tips on that and I can help you with serving!”  
He leapt onto his feet and pumped his fists in the air. “All right, deal!”  
They gave each other a double high five, which Hinata had to jump for. Ono chuckled, and then scratched the side of his face. “Uh, Hinata-kun? Do you need help organizing your things?” Hinata turned to his side of the room and then back at Ono’s. Though Ono had only been there less than an hour, he had gotten his side of the room nearly finished and was working on some posters of his favorite bands and professional volleyball players. Hinata’s side of the room still looked like a complete mess.  
“Gwah!”  
Ono laughed, “No worries, I’ll help you a bit with the essentials, then we can go grab some lunch.”

That first day at Todai had been great for Hinata. He and Ono got along great, and they both took their time hopping all over campus to get their bearings. He only felt a little pang here and there at missing his parents and Natsu- but he was mostly bursting with excitement. That night, however, the slow churning ache that had been hiding in his stomach began to sneak into his brain. It was quiet with Ono already snoring lightly, and Hinata tried to shove off the negative thoughts he was determined not to focus on. Thoughts involving a certain black haired setter who was sleeping in his own dorm room, in another campus at a completely different university from Hinata. A setter who could have gone to the same school as Hinata, but chose somewhere else because he believed them to have a “superior” team. A setter who probably felt he could do just fine without Hinata. At these dark thoughts Hinata felt tears coming on, but he shook his head and took a deep breath. This was a new start, and he was determined to not let the absence of his best friend hinder him from his new life and his new team. He turned on his side and tried to picture volleyballs floating over a net, counting them one by one and until he eventually drifted off.

The first week of university life was a whirlwind for Hinata. Because he was scouted for the volleyball team and that was his main focus, he hadn’t picked a major yet. As a result all his classes were Gen Eds, which he thankfully shared a couple with Ono. As Friday arrived they were both brimming with excitement at their first practice with the volleyball team. The first couple days would mainly be tryouts for students wanting to join the club, but they didn’t have to participate in that since they were both scouted. Regardless though they were expected to go and practice with the team. When they arrived they found a bit of separation in groups. The already established team was setting up a few nets in different areas of the court, a few beginning to warm up and greeting their buddies. There was one particular student who looked older (and gigantic to Hinata) with an aura of responsibility holding a clipboard, surrounded by what looked like to be first years. Hinata and Ono looked at each other and nodded, heading over to the older student. He spotted them and gave them a friendly smile, waving them over.  
“Hello, hello. As I was saying to the others, I’m Otsuka Shohei, captain of the volleyball team. I have a clipboard here for first years who were scouted to join the team. Vice Captain Yamashita here has a clipboard for those trying out for the team. We’ll need you to fill out your basic info and then we’ll get started.”  
Hinata hadn’t even noticed the vice captain next to Otsuka. He was much shorter and thinner, but he could tell that though he was wiry, he was completely made of lean muscle. He had an undercut with wavy brownhair on top, and his eyes were sharp as they glanced around at the first years. Once Otsuka was done with his instructions he stepped a ways away so the students who were trying out could separate themselves, which happened to be the majority of the group. Hinata and Ono followed three others towards Otsuka, who looked them all over appraisingly and handed the clipboard to the one who was closest to him, another giant. As he filled out the clipboard they all began to chat with one another. Hinata, who had not grown many centimeters in high school, was actually not the shortest of those who had been scouted. He began chatting with a first year libero who kept looking back to Vice Captain Yamashita, and ended up explaining to Hinata that they came from the same school, and was his mentor and idol. He furrowed his brow and glanced at Hinata. “Are you also a Libero?”  
Hinata shook his head. “Nah nah, I’m a middle blocker”. The Libero looked relieved, and Hinata was pleased that the other didn’t even question his ability to to be a middle blocker since he was so short.  
After they were all signed in Otsuka led them to a net on the far right where a lot of the team were waiting and stretching, with some still ambling in from the locker room. They all gathered around to check out their first batch of first years. Otsuka went one by one having them introduce themselves and their position. When they arrived at Hinata, he stepped forward proudly. “I’m Hinata Shoyou, and I’m a Middle Blocker!” And gave a slight bow as the others had. There were a couple snickers.  
“Eeeehh, what’s this Captain? I didn’t realize we were recruiting middle schoolers!”  
“Middle blocker? We don’t really need someone guarding the bottom of the net do we?” They all started chuckling. Hinata wasn't too bothered, he was used to it, and was eager to prove them wrong. Before the Captain could quiet them down a tall, lanky figure sauntered forward, a wave of messy black hair and a smirk that could make a marble statue blush.  
“Now now, I know this little guy doesn’t look like much, but I assure you, from personal experience, you don’t want to overestimate him.”  
Hinata brightened at the appearance of his old mentor from his first training camp in Tokyo. “Kuroo-San! I didn’t know you were on our team!”  
Kuroo chuckled and patted his head, “Sure am, and now let’s see if you’ve learned any new tricks since our last battle” he ended with a wink. Hinata nodded his head vigorously.  
“Chibi-chan?” A new and slightly familiar voice carried from just beyond their group. Hinata turned and gave a little gasp.  
“Grand King?”


	2. Chapter 2

Even on a very large campus such as Todai, Oikawa was very well known. The majority of the school knew him for being a talented setter for their champion volleyball team, and even more knew of him from his handsome looks and charming personality. There was a smaller yet still substantial part of the campus that knew of his well rounded intelligence and keen observation skills. All of these aspects are what made up the popular third year to the public. However, since the beginning of the semester, one could hardly recognize Oikawa, brooding in his classes wearing a blanket of grudging preoccupation and a grimace on his face emitted a “Stay the fuck away” without him even saying anything. His group of fan girls were in distress as they discussed what could be the problem with their idol. He was still taking care of his appearance, his hair still floating in perfect, brown waves, and his style still impeccable, so it couldn’t possibly be a bad breakup. And he was more grouchy than sad, so it probably wasn’t a death in the family? Nothing seemed to be amiss with his studies, so they continued throwing out wild theory after another, but nothing fitting quite right in the puzzle of Oikawa’s alarming new aura.  
To Oikawa, he hardly even paid attention to the stares and whispers, that wasn’t what occupied the maelstrom going on inside his head. He was on his way to the gym, for the first volleyball practice of this year. Typically he would have been ecstatic for this day, reuniting with his beloved university team and friends, uncovering new shiny gems in the first years and helping bring out their best with his tosses. But not this year...not now. It was just before the start of the semester when he had met up one last time with Iwaizumi. They were always a bit sad to part ways and leave his best friend to his own life at Jutendo, who had given up playing volleyball and immersed himself into his sports medicine degree, but this time he could tell Iwaizumi was wrestling internally with something, and was afraid to tell Oikawa about it.  
“I know I’m kind of a genius, Iwa-chan, but even I can’t read your mind. Spit it out!”  
He received a punch in the arm, and then Iwaizumi frowned even deeper and sighed. “So you know there’ll be a bunch of first years joining the volleyball teams, right?” He glanced up at Oikawa who looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. Iwaizumi’s eyes slid to look at nothing in particular at the wall. “Well, ends up Kageyama is joining Ushijima on the team at Jutendo.” Oikawa had a sharp intake of breath and was silent. Iwaizumi dragged his eyes back to him to see how he was taking the news. As it sunk in, Oikawa’s eyebrows furrowed...his jaw clenched as the thoughts swirled and gained momentum, enraging him as he realized his two rivals will be joining forces against him. Finally his nose scrunched in disgust as he let out one word.   
“Fuck.”

His team had struggled the past two years against Jutendo. They had won his first year, but last year Ushijima got more playtime in, as did Oikawa, which made it more frustrating when they lost. He took it even harder than he used to without Iwaizumi to join him in his equal hatred of Ushijima. And now Tobio-chan would be joining him. Oikawa thought about his own team, whichever had complete faith in. They were really good- the best in his opinion, but the thought of those two teaming up made him feel sick. He hated the ominous feeling that with those two together his team would be totally annihilated. 

With these negative thoughts permeating his existence, his first week back seemed dull and lifeless. He joined his teammates at last in the locker room, throwing out greetings without his usual gusto, earning him concerned looks and a pat or two on the back. Everything looked grey, did his life ever have color? He trudged after his team and toward the group gathered around a few first years. He stopped when he spotted a flash of orange. He was bright, radiating with excitement and joy. The torrent of negativity slowly ebbed out of Oikawa’s mind as he soaked in the sunlight pouring out of the shorter man, talking excitedly with Kuroo. Excitement blossomed in the pit of his stomach as he came to a startling realization...They had a chance. This monster of energy didn’t stick with Kageyama, couldn’t gang up on him. He belonged to Oikawa. He felt like an archeologist had discovered an ancient treasure that he hadn’t even expected to find. He was overwhelmed but called out to his savior.   
“Chibi-chan?”

Hinata was shocked to see Oikawa standing there. He hadn’t known Karasuno’s intense rival would be there and on his team. He instinctively tensed up in the presence of the Grand King, expecting a sneer and some snide remarks. But Oikawa didn’t look cocky or petulant. His shocked face was easing into a radiant smile. He looked positively ecstatic to see Hinata. Hinata cocked his head in confusion, and turned to Kuroo to see if he could offer an explanation, since Oikawa was still standing there looking at him like he was the sun. Kuroo seemed just as confused as Hinata, thought slightly more amused at Oikawa’s growing glee.   
“All right, lets get to it!” Otsuka clapped his hands, startling the team back to attention. “We’ll split up into two groups, each on one side of the net. We’ll just focus on tosses and spikes for now. Got it?”  
A resounding “Yes!!” From the team and they all split off. Hinata danced in his spot in line, unable to contain his excitement, and tried to focus on his new setter. Oikawa was beside the net on his side, poised and focused.. Hinata gazed intently as each ball nestled just right onto those long slender fingers, and the ball sprung to life as it soared to just the right spot above the net.   
“Uwahh, I’m so pumped!” Hinata squealed.  
Ono chuckled in front of him, “Wait your turn, you’ll be up soon!” And then suddenly it was Ono’s turn, and with surprising grace and form in one so tall he chased after the ball and sprung to position, spiking it with impressive gusto. Hinata had little time to be impressed for his moment had come. Just as he was about to fly to the net he locked eyes with Oikawa. Oikawa’s intense brown eyes had a glint to them, and he smirked. A challenge just for him, and Oikawa launched the ball way further and higher than he had been. The older members of the team began to scold Oikawa for picking on the little first year but Hinata ignored them. He streaked to the far end of the net and leapt into the air. He spotted just where he wanted the ball to land, and he whipped his arm into it. There was the satisfying sting on the palm of his hand and the the ricochet of the ball landing in bounds on the far side of the court. He landed lightly back onto the court and sighed in relief. He looked towards Oikawa who had a smug grin on his face. The rest of the team had stopped and stared in silence.   
“What the hell?”  
“Did he just do that?”  
“Aw shit! I didn’t even realize it, isn’t he The Little Giant?”   
A resounding “OOohhhh” came from a few and some nods, and more chatter erupting when suddenly a whistle erupted into the air.  
Otsuka stood on the side of the net and chuckled. “All right we’ll have plenty of time to be impressed, but right now we gotta get back into shape. Let’s go!”  
“Yes!!” Was the answering cry and like a machine everyone started moving together, like different gears fitting together and churning.   
Hinata trotted back to the end of the line, passing bye Oikawa. Oikawa chuckled as he went past, “Nice hit, Hina-chan.”  
Hinata felt his cheeks grow hot at the unexpected praise, as well as the dropped nickname, and squeaked out a “Thanks Oikawa-san.”

Their first practice goes well, and during their breaks they chat with the older members of the team as well as sneak glances at the tryouts being held across the court. The tryouts however will take longer than normal practice, so Otsuka dismisses them to the showers. After he was cleaned up he introduced Kuroo to his roommate Ono, and they all three began to walk back to their dorm. They paused however when they heard Oikawa call out to them, running to catch up. Hinata’s insides squirmed as those intense eyes zeroed in on him. He wasn’t used to receiving so much attention from Oikawa, particularly positive attention.   
“So Chibi-chan, are you ready to learn some new tricks to use against Ushiwaka and Tobio-chan?” Hinata flinched at the mention of Kageyama, but pasted a smile on his face quickly.   
“Of course! They won’t know what hit him!”  
Kuroo rubbed the top of his head “That’s the spirit, and we should get you into the gym to pump up these muscles a bit more!”  
“Ehh? What’s wrong with my muscles?”  
Kuroo snickered. “No no, nothing’s wrong, but uh...your competition in university is a lot more powerful. You’ll have to go head to head with some real meatheads like Bokuto.”  
Hinata grew quiet as he pondered that, but Oikawa laughed.  
“Going to the gym and strengthening up is a good idea, but don’t worry, Hina-chan. No one’s expecting you to look like the Incredible Hulk. Besides, muscles are heavy and we don’t want anything slowing you down.”  
Hinata brightened and nodded vigorously. Their conversation was interrupted when Kuroo’s pocket began meowed. Ono and Hinata looked confused, but Oikawa just rolled his eyes as Kuroo fished his phone out of his pocket to check a message.   
“Oh hey, Chibi-chan! You knew Kenma goes here too, right? He wants to meet up for lunch. Wanna come?”   
Hinata cheered at the prospect of seeing his old friend and rival. Ono excused himself back to the dorm, wanting to get a start on some assignments so he can enjoy the weekend. They turned to Oikawa, who shrugged.  
“I’d like to come but I’ve been a little out of it this week, so I have a lot to catch up on as well.”  
“That’s an understatement,” Kuroo muttered under his breath.  
Oikawa sent a quick glare at Kuroo, but pulled a smile back as he focused on Hinata. “Well Hina-chan, as our precious kohai we should give you our numbers in case you need anything, and we can set up some extra practices.”  
Kuroo nodded in agreement and they all exchanged numbers. With that Oikawa waved goodbye and headed back to his dorm with a skip in his step. 

Hinata and Kuroo found Kenma shadowing a pillar just outside the cafeteria, playing a game just as he’d always done.   
“Kenma!!!!!” Kenma jumped a foot at Hinata’s bellowed greeting and then winced in anticipation as he was tackled by his old friend. Kuroo held his stomach as he bent over in obnoxious laughter. Kenma’s shock softened and he hugged Hinata back softly as he smiled.  
“Hi Shouyou,” he nearly whispered in his low, gentle voice, “How have you been?”  
Hinata popped off him and his smile stretched across his face. “I’m great! Ahhhh, I’m so pumped we’re at the same university!! We’re gonna have so much fun! How are you? What’s your major? What dorm are you in? Why aren’t you on the team?!”   
Kenma started at him through the slew of questions, and instead of answering all of them, he just shrugged, “Eh, there are more important things. Kuroo couldn’t come up with enough valid reasons for me to.”   
Hinata looked at Kuroo frantically, who nodded in return. “I did my best Chibi-chan, but he couldn’t see my brilliant logic.”  
Kenma rolled his eyes. “Anyways, let’s eat before it gets too busy.”  
The three grabbed some food and settled down to eat. They all caught each other up over the past years apart, swapping funny stories and talking about old teammates.   
That night when Hinata laid in bed, it wasn’t as it had been the past week. The painful ache from Kageyama’s rejection had faded dramatically. Instead his muscles were sore and tired from volleyball practice, and his heart was overflowing with the excitement of his new team, reuniting with some old friends, and some new intriguing feelings regarding Oikawa Tooru. That was the most perplexing of all, and while he had a lot to figure out regarding the once intimidating and calculating Grand King, he wasn’t filled with dread at the prospect of getting to know his new Senpai. He drifted off replaying the feeling of his muscles surging to reach the difficult toss, the sting on his palm at the point of contact, the slam of the ball echoing in the gym, and the squirmy feelings that erupted at seeing a proud smirk on Oikawa’s handsome face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata and Oikawa get to know each other a little bit better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s a short one for you, I’ll have a longer chapter around the corner!

About a month into his first semester, Hinata was really settling into his new life. He surprisingly enjoyed his classes, even though he never did well in school before. Kenma assured him that was normal, since college is where you get to really learn about things you’re actually interested in and want to pursue as a career, as well as learning more about the world and how to survive in it. He was adjusting to his new team as well, though he knew that when it came to actual games and tournaments, him and the other first years may not get much play time, if any at all. Still, that wouldn’t stop Hinata. He pushed himself even harder. He needed to reach higher levels to compete for a spot on first string, and then the strength to defeat his opponents if he gets the chance. They had practice several times a week, and even afterwards Hinata would stay behind with a few others for self practice. Some days he and Kuroo would work on read blocking, while others he devoted completely to spiking tosses from Oikawa. Bit by bit they were learning to read each other, and by the end of every practice he was exhausted from Oikawa testing his limits in every way. It wasn’t a bad feeling to Hinata. It was refreshing to try harder and learn new tricks.   
One day after practice, Oikawa and Hinata were the last two to leave. They cleaned up the gym, locked it up, and headed back to the dorm. They were chatting lightly about upcoming meets and their rival teams, when Hinata grew quiet. He glanced up at Oikawa who turned to him and smiled encouragingly. It gave him a little confidence as he drew in a breath.   
“Say, Oikawa-san? Can I ask you something?”  
Oikawa shrugged, “Sure, why not?”  
Hinata looked down nervously at his feet as they walked. “Well, you’re not really like I thought you were. I mean, back when I was a first year you were terrifying! Like I was scared to go to the bathroom in case you were there, and sometimes you were! And I kinda felt like a bug you needed to squash or something. And then there’s the whole thing with Kageyama, who like, respects you, but has always been, I don’t know, careful around you? How are you so different now?”  
Oikawa listened attentively, though smirking at the bathroom comment. He grew solemn however at the mention of Kageyama. They continued down the path to their dorm in heavy silence. Hinata grew nervous,and wondered if he said something wrong. He was about to change the subject when Oikawa nodded.  
“You’re not wrong, Hina-chan. I was cold to you, because back then you were my rival, and you personally sparked something in Tobio-chan that made him fierce competition for me. My relationship with him is...complicated.” He looked down at Hinata, who stared back at him with his big, bright eyes, quiet for once as he waited for Oikawa to continue. He sighed, “Well, just between you and me,” Hinata nodded his head in agreement, “I guess I’ve always seen Tobio as a threat. I was jealous of his talent, his skills as a setter came so naturally to him, whereas I worked so hard for my abilities. I’ve always felt it was only a matter of time before he finally surpassed me.” His voice trailed off, his typically warm and intense eyes icing over into sadness.   
Hinata felt his chest tighten at seeing Oikawa like this. He was used to Oikawa brimming with confidence, and he hated to see him drown in self deprecation.   
“I’m surprised,” Hinata spoke softly.  
“Hmm? About what?”  
“Well...I guess it’s hard for me to completely understand where you’re coming from, because I’ve always felt like I was trailing behind everyone- in skills, strategy, and smarts, so I’ve only done the chasing. I’ll admit it was hard for myself dealing with Kageyama’s natural ability with volleyball when we first met. But over time we learned how well we can work together and let our initial hatred of each other slide away.” He smiled as he peered back at Oikawa, who was listening attentively, “Well, regardless of his abilities or whatever, you have your own set of skills that he’ll never be able to surpass you in. Not even close!”  
Oikawa’s smile began to sneak back onto his face. “Ooh? And what kind of skills are those that Tobio-chan is lacking?”  
Hinata beamed back at him, “Social skills!”  
Oikawa stared down at Hinata’s shining and completely serious face, and then burst out laughing. He laughed so hard he had tears streaming down his face, and he clutched onto his stomach. He heaved deep breaths as he tried to calm down, and then turned back to Hinata, who was smiling though looking a little confused.   
“Oh man, Hina-chan, that was great. But how can you say that, wasn’t he your best friend?”  
At this Hinata flinched, something Oikawa had picked up on whenever someone had mentioned Kageyama around Hinata. “Well, yeah, he still is, I think. It took him a long time to get good at communicating to his teammates, and especially to give encouragement without sounding like he was gonna vomit,” he snickered. “Even at the end though, after all his progress, I felt like he still didn’t have complete faith in me, especially if I wanted to try something brand new…”  
Oikawa noticed Hinata’s voice growing quieter, until he stopped talking. He wasn’t sure if he simply had nothing else to say, or nothing else he wanted to voice aloud. They were nearing the door of their dorm, Oikawa jogged a little ahead to swung it open and stepped aside, so Hinata could shuffle through. They stopped by the stairs since Oikawa was on a higher floor. He put a hand on Hinata’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.   
“Don’t worry, Hina-chan, you and I are partners now, and I’m excited to try all sorts of things with you. Together we can surpass our previous selves, and beat everyone else while we’re at it!”  
Hinata’s pinched lips began to loosen and curl upwards, and his whole face lit up, shining like the sun bursting from behind a storm cloud. It was radiant, and warmed Oikawa to his core. They said their good nights and Hinata hopped down the hallway, weaving in and out of other students coming and going. Oikawa watched him til he was out of sight, and then made his way up the stairs to his dorm, chuckling as he climbed.   
‘What is he, 18, 19 years old? How can he still be that cute?’ He thought.  
As he entered his dorm which he had the good fortune to have all to himself, he laughed again when he pictured Hinata’s face when he declared Oikawa had great social skills and Kageyama had none. It didn’t make him feel smug as it might have in the past. It soothed his soul to be praised on something he genuinely worked hard on. As opposed to what most people thought, he tried hard to get along with people. Though Hinata was so enthusiastic in his praise, Oikawa had the feeling that ball of sunshine got along with people more naturally than he ever would, but was humble enough not to dwell on it.   
He almost wanted to call Iwaizumi up and tell him what happened so they could laugh about it. Yet at the same time, a part of him didn’t want to tell anyone, not even Iwaizumi, as if their simple conversation was too intimate to share...a secret memory just between Hinata and himself. It felt strange to keep anything to himself, but he shrugged it off. It was late and he had to get some sleep before his early class in the morning, so he hummed a little song as he prepared for bed


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata’s hormones spike...and Kuroo’s dad mode makes an appearance

Three months into university, and a couple matches between Todai and other universities have already taken place, their team winning both. It was hard for Hinata to sit on the sidelines. It felt wrong, like he was being cheated somehow. All the first years were currently benched, though they’ve been assured they will get some playtime in by the end of the season. Though it was frustrating for himself and his other first year teammates, Hinata was determined to make the best of his situation while confined to the bench. Once they made it to their third match of the season, he didn’t just watch the match and cheer for his team. His eyes focused on his teammates, observing all their quirks and the fluidity of their teamwork in ways he was never able to do during typical practice.   
His breath would catch as the ball would fly to Oikawa’s waiting fingers, and it would spring in a perfect arc to the waiting spiker. Oikawa would allow a quick satisfied smile at their winning play, and then focus immediately to the next thing, wiping sweat from his forehead as it drips down his face. Hinata noticed it also dripping down his long, slender neck and down into his shirt that was sticking to his firm chest— Hinata suddenly jerked when everyone around him let out a cheer. Hinata blinked in confusion as he saw his teammates on the court patting Otsuka’s back. Ono leaned over to him, “Did you see that spike? That was amazing!”   
“Uhh...actually I think I missed it.” Ono’s face jerked toward him in surprise.  
“Whhaaa? But you’ve been watching the game with such intensity, how could you miss it?!”  
Hinata scratched the back of his head wondering how he missed it. He glanced back to the court, his eyes immediately finding Oikawa in the throng.   
‘Oooh,’ He thought, feeling his cheeks grow really hot. “Oh I think I just got distracted.” He shrugged sheepishly at Ono, who just looked at him like he was crazy. But he shrugged and they both turned back to the game. Hinata took a deep breath and was determined to keep his focus this time, and not let his mind wander to Oikawa, or how strange it was that he was even thinking about him.   
They ended up winning that game as well, though just barely. Hinata rushed onto the court with his teammates as they piled into a big pile of sweaty hugs. Hinata leapt into the air to catch a high five from Kuroo, who then ruffled his curly orange hair. He laughed, but then squeaked when a pair of arms wrapped him from behind. He heard Oikawa’s voice yell “Hina-chan!” And felt his feet leave the earth as he was spun around, his legs flailing in the air. He giggled when Oikawa finally let him down, but then almost fell over from dizziness. Oikawa chuckled as he gripped Hinata’s shoulders to steady him.  
“You okay?”  
“Yup, yeah, just a bit woozy.” It only took a moment for him to steady himself. He looked up at Oikawa, who still had a hand on his shoulder and was gazing at him with quiet concern. Hinata was worried he would start blushing again, so he laughed it off.  
“Oikawa-san? You’re kinda gross.”  
Oikawa’s eyebrows shot up. “Ooooh? Am I now?” An evil grin spread on his face, and without hesitation he grabbed his jersey and flung it over Hinata’s head, soaking him in his sweat. Hinata groaned in disgust as he struggled for his freedom, while also avoiding the muscled torso that was so close to his face he could feel the heat coming off it.   
“Oikawa!” Otsuka’s voice rang out. “Stop picking on Hinata. Line up!”  
Hinata was released from the sweaty prison and he gasped the fresh air. Oikawa patted him on the back, laughing and ran to join the others. Hinata coughed and jogged to catch up, his heart pounding in his chest and praying his face wasn’t as bright as his hair.

Hinata felt like he enjoyed his lunches at university almost as much as he loved volleyball. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, he ate lunch with Kenma, and was often joined by Kuroo and Oikawa. On Tuesdays and Thursdays he ate with Ono and typically someone else from their classes or the other first years on the volleyball team. This particular day happened to be a Friday, and Hinata slammed into his seat next to Kenma and started gobbling down his food. Kenma was completely unphased, but Kuroo and Oikawa chuckled at their energetic first year.  
“Something’s got you all hyped up, what’s going on, Chibi-chan?” Kuroo asked with his signature smirk on his face.  
Hinata lifted his head from his food and beamed. “I’m meeting up with some members of Karasuno tomorrow! We’re gonna meet up at a restaurant for lunch and then hang out probably shopping or head to a karaoke cafe.”  
“Oooh?” Kuroo purred, leaning forward with interest. “Who’s all gonna be there?”  
Hinata finished chewing his food and swallowed, “Hmm, I know Tanaka-senpai will be there, and Asahi-san, I think maybe Tsukishima…”  
“Will Sawamura be there?”  
“Yeah, I think so!”  
“Really...can I come?”  
Hinata laughed, “Well I’m pretty sure it’s just our teammates coming, I can ask though?”  
Kuroo chuckled, “Nah nah, it’s fine, have fun with your teammates, I know how special that is. Though, tell those guys, particularly Sawamura, we need to have a reunion ourselves!”  
Hinata nodded enthusiastically. Kenma paused the game he was playing and glanced up at Hinata. His mouth twisted as he contemplated, like he was about to say something. He glanced up and locked eyes with Oikawa. He was definitely thinking something himself, but shook his head slightly to Kenma. With that he unpaused his game as if nothing had happened. Hinata remained blissfully unaware of the exchanged as he continued to gobble down his food, stopping once in a while to talk about old teammates with Kuroo.  
“You’re really lucky you get to go to continue school with your best friend, Kuroo-san.”  
Kuroo smiled warmly, “Yeah, it was a relief Kenma chose to go here as well. All I had to work with first year was this guy.” He jabbed a thumb towards Oikawa.  
Oikawa gasped. “So rude, Kuroo-chan! It wasn’t easy rooming with you either!” He turned to Hinata and Kenma. “You know what he did our first year living together? He tried to sneak in a bunch of kittens into our dorm room! Not A kitten...like six!”  
Kuroo chuckled, “They were so cute, I couldn’t just leave them in that alley.”  
“Oooooh right, that alley. That’s why they were covered in dirt...and fleas.”  
Kuroo shrugged, “It didn’t take the floor monitors long to find them anyways.”  
Oikawa glared at him. “Nope, not long at all, and they took the adorable kittens away. Unfortunately they left behind the fleas…”  
As he recollected the incident, Kuroo instinctually began to scratch his arm. “Yeah, ok I admit that wasn’t my brightest moment.”  
Hinata cringed, “Is that why you both live in single rooms now?”  
Kuroo and Oikawa looked at Hinata in surprise, and then both started to giggle.   
“It was really wasn’t that bad, Hina-chan, just a couple of mishaps. We actually had a lot of fun together that year, but we both tend to study at crazy hours. He prefers to do most of his work at insane hours of the morning, and I work throughout the night, so for our sanity--“  
“And for any other roommate we would have in the future…” Kuroo interjected.  
“Yup, it’s easier while living in the dorms to just live in a single.”  
Oikawa frowned and snuck a look at his watch. “Ugh, I’ve gotta get to my next class.”  
Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “Which class is next?”  
“Quantum Physics.”  
Kuroo winced, “Yeesh. Well, it’s in the same building as my next one, let’s go.” He smiled his crooked smile at the younger pair. “We’ll see you guys at practice!”  
“Yup, bye guys!” Hinata beamed.   
“See you...have fun tomorrow, Hina-chan!” Oikawa smiled at Hinata, and once again Hinata felt a little overwhelmed by the handsome features being focused directly on him.  
“Oh, y-yeah...thanks!”  
While they said their goodbyes, Kuroo shared a pointed look with Kenma, who nodded slightly. It passed so quickly the other two didn’t notice, and with that Kuroo patted Oikawa’s shoulder and they both made their way out of the cafeteria.   
They walked together in a comfortable silence, Oikawa humming happily as Kuroo let his eyes wander all the passing students, though his thoughts were rather preoccupied.   
Through their three years together at Todai and being on the same team, they had grown pretty close and had a comfortable friendship. Not best friends, but they both understood the importance of a childhood best friend that could not be replaced in their hearts. Still, though neither would admit it, they each had a deep respect for each other. However, Kuroo knew that though Oikawa was a shrewd individual, he tended to get flustered and defensive if he was picked on in the wrong way. He had to choose his words carefully as he brought up something that’s been plaguing his thoughts lately regarding his friend.  
“Hey, Oikawa, can I ask you something?”  
“Hmm? Of course!”  
“You, uh..you’ve been doing quite a lot of extra practice lately, haven’t you?” Kuroo scratched the back of his head.  
Oikawa waved his hand dismissively. “I know, I know, you don’t have to worry, I’m not overdoing it again. Iwa-chan would have my head if he thought—“  
“Oh, no, that’s not exactly what I was getting at. You haven’t even been limping so I figured you weren’t over doing it.” He glanced at Oikawa, who was looking back at him with his eyebrows knotted together in confusion. “Well, you’ve been spending a lot of time with Chibi-chan and I know Sawamura would never forgive me if I didn’t look out for the little guy, but you’re my friend too! Ugh, I suck at this.” Kuroo buried his face into his palm.  
Oikawa stopped walking and grabbed his arm to stop him too. He tugged on Kuroo’s sleeve to pull his hand away from his face. Kuroo could see that he wasn’t upset, yet, but his face showed his concern. “Kuroo-chan, what are you getting at? Just tell me.”  
Kuroo heaved a sigh. “Listen, I know you’re feelings about Ushijima, and your life goal to beat him down in a match. And I know all about your rivalry with Kageyama. That’s all good, I have no issues as long as you don’t overwork yourself again. But I just don’t wanna see you pull the kid into your rivalry. We all live and breathe volleyball, but he’s got this pure hearted enthusiasm that could easily be twisted into something darker, especially since his friendship’s gone south with Kageyama. Plus with how physical he is when he plays, it would be easy for him to become injured with overwork.”  
Oikawa soaked in Kuroo’s concerns, his mouth pinched shut as he let Kuroo finish. Kuroo held his breath subconsciously as he waited, growing more nervous in the silence. As Oikawa ruminated on Kuroo’s words, his face pinched with worry.  
“I-,” he began, “I never really even thought of that. I didn’t really think about him being sucked into my feelings about those two…” He suddenly stood up straighter and and looked back at Kuroo with a bit more confidence. “I’m not purposely using him for my vengeance if that’s what you’re worried about. If anything, I hardly even think about it when we’re practicing together. Like you said, he’s so enthusiastic about it we just start having fun, and trying new things, we just get sucked into it and sure enough it’s several hours later…” A soft smile grew on Oikawa’s face, and he chuckled. “To be honest, I feel like he’s brought a bit more love back into the sport for me.”  
Kuroo heaved a sigh of relief. “Whew, that’s good man, I was so worried. I mean, you have looked perkier lately, so it makes sense.”  
They chuckled as they continued onto their classrooms, Kuroo feeling a bit lighter at getting all that off his chest. Oikawa, however, grew more quiet again.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“Um, you don’t think Hina-chan thinks I’ve been using him, do you?”  
Kuroo’s face suddenly looked a little guilty. “Ah, well, no I don’t think he thinks that. Truth is Kenma’s probably asking him about it right now. We both had the concern, and Kenma being closer to Hinata wanted to make sure he was protecting himself from being hurt.”  
Oikawa frowned. He hoped that talk wouldn’t cause Hinata to have any cold feelings towards him. His heart wouldn’t be able to bear his personal ball of fluffy sunshine to look at him with any hurt or disdain.   
“Hey, hey, don't worry about it! It’s not like Kenma’s gonna paint you to be a monster! And I’ll talk about it with them to convince them you never intended to use him or corrupt him for your evil plans.”  
Oikawa released a chuckle, at Kuroo’s jab. “Yeah, ok. It wouldn’t be good for him to not trust his setter after all.”

Kenma never talked much. He didn’t need to typically, and purposely avoided situations where he would have to talk a lot. Occasionally though, he had to make an exception. Kuroo and Oikawa had been gone for a few minutes, and he had continued playing his games while Hinata chatted in his ear happily in between huge mouthfuls of food. Finally the twisting feeling in his gut got the best of him and he saved his game and placed it on the table. Hinata startled at the action and turned his full attention to his friend. Kenma smiled at Hinata’s reaction. Hinata could be spacey, but he was always very keen on the moods and well being of his friends.  
“Are you alright, Kenma?”  
“Yes…” he answered tentatively. “I just wanted to talk to you about something. I’m not quite sure how to say it.”  
Hinata’s eyes grew wide and he nodded his head, remaining perfectly quiet to let his friend release his thoughts.  
Kenma drew in a breath. “Well, you know about Oikawa’s rivalry with Ushijima.” Again Hinata nodded. “And...you know how he feels about Kageyama as well.” Hinata nodded more slowly, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Kuroo and I were just worried that with all the practice you two have been doing together, we were thinking Oikawa might be trying to drag you into it.”  
Hinata’s eyebrows shot up at the implication. He sat back in his seat and looked down at the nearly empty bowl in front of him as he thought about it. “I don’t know...to be honest, he never really talks about those two while we’re practicing.”  
Kenma cocked his head slightly. “You don’t?”  
Hinata shook his head, and then looked back at Kenma. “Really we’re just working on some new skills, practicing old ones, laughing, talking, never about them though. I don’t know, it’s always just fun?” Hinata shrugged.  
Kenma smiled. “Oh...if that’s how it is, then it’s fine.”  
Hinata bright smile returned to his face. “Yeah! That is how it is!” And returned to emptying his bowl of every grain of rice he could find.  
Kenma picked his game up and returned to playing, a wave of relaxation flowing over him knowing he probably wouldn’t have to talk about difficult things with Hinata for a while, he hoped. His phone chimed and his eyes glanced over to the notification screen to find a text from Kuroo. His eyes darted back to Hinata who hadn’t noticed, so he quickly put his game down and swiped the phone up.  
‘Confirmed: Oikawa’s not trying to corrupt the little one’  
Kenma smirked and swiftly typed out a response.  
‘Confirmed: Hinata didn’t think he was either’  
Kenma placed his phone back on the table and went back to his game. After a moment he got one more text from Kuroo. He glanced at it and grinned.  
‘It might be the other way round tho...Chibi-chan may be making Oikawa fluffier’


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A minor Karasuno reunion, and a big change happens to Hinata

Hinata’s old senpai from Karasuno knew he was very likely to get lost, so they chose a restaurant closer to his campus than theirs. He still arrives last, charging into the restaurant out of breath, head twisting around to locate his friends.  
“Oy, Hinata!” Tanaka’s voice called out. Hinata peered toward a curved booth further back where Tanaka was waving from. Seated with him was Asahi and Daichi smiling excitedly, and Tsukishima had his back to him, his head turned just enough to greet him. He slid into the booth next to Tsukishima, who clicked his tongue. “Of course you’d be late.”   
Hinata, instead of arguing, grinned cheekily back at the statuesque blonde. “I missed you too Tsukishima!” The bespeckled man beside him furrowed his brows, his mouth twisted in annoyance. The older three chuckled.   
“Did you two learn to get along better since we left?” Daichi asked.  
Hinata nodded enthusiastically, “Yeah we did! We all got along pretty well our last year! And Yamaguchi did great at keeping everyone in line, he was a great captain!”  
Tsukishima said nothing, but the tiniest of smiles whispered on his lips.   
“Yes!” Tanaka cheered “Yamaguchi became a boss! I always knew he had it in him.” He wiped a fake tear from his eyes. The older two snickered. Just then the waitress stopped by the table and they paused in their conversation, relaying their food and drink orders.  
“How are you both liking University life? And Tokyo of course,” Asahi questioned after the waitress left the table.  
“I love it!” Hinata gushed, “Classes aren’t too bad, hard, but a bit more fun than high school. And I’m really liking my team, though it’s hard getting used to a whole new team after Karasuno.” They all nodded in response.  
“I hope Kuroo’s looking after you,” Daichi responded. “I told him I’d beat the crap out of him if he let anything happen to you.”  
Tanaka and Asahi chuckled, Tanaka muttering a “Papa bear” under his breath.  
Hinata nodded his head, his hair floofing with every jerk. “Yeah, he’s looking out for me, him and Kenma both. He’s helping me improve my read-blocks too, and he’s been dragging me to the gym a couple times a week to ‘beef me up.’”  
They all exclaimed they could tell he was looking stronger, Tanaka leaning across the table to slap his back.   
“Speaking of ‘beefing up’,” Daichi began, his eyebrows raising as he glanced towards his taller kohai, “You’ve been packing on more muscle as well, haven’t you Tsukishima?”  
Tsukishima’s pert nose wrinkled, “...yes, a little,” he muttered.   
Hinata cocked his head at him. “I’m surprised you’re putting in so much effort!” And he gave Tsukishima’s well toned bicep a little squeeze.   
Tsukishima yanked his arm away, “It’s difficult putting in minimal effort when being hounded by Bokuto-San.”  
“Ooooh!! I forgot you’re on a team with Bokuto-san, that’s amazing!!” Hinata shouted. Asahi winced and reminded Hinata they were in a public setting. Hinata pursed his lips and and nodded silently.   
Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “It’s ok,” he answered, taking a moment to sip on his tea.   
“Has he gotten even better since high school?” Tanaka asked.  
Tsukishima frowned, “A little, not as much as you’d think. He had some...hold ups.” He answered cryptically. They hounded him a bit longer to elaborate, but he seemed oddly tight lipped on his new boisterous senpai.They gave up eventually when their food arrived, catching up with the other members of the team as they ate their lunch. Asahi was scouted into University, but he decided against pursuing volleyball and concentrated on his studies to become an accountant. Tanaka and Daichi happened to attend the same school, but neither of them played for their university team, though they both enjoyed an occasional recreational game.   
After they were done eating they all decided to do check out the other shops on the street. As they walked along, the three older crows fell into easy conversation as they walked a little ahead. Tsukishima and Hinata lagged just a bit behind them, and Tsukishima took the opportunity to lean down and murmur to Hinata in a low voice.  
“How are you doing, really?”  
Hinata looked at him with one eyebrow raised. “What do you mean, I’m doing great...I wasn’t making that up.”  
Tsukishima shook his head. “No, I don’t mean in general, you look fine…” He paused as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I meant, with Kageyama. You two—you didn’t part on the best of terms.”  
Hinata winced, but didn’t jerk like he had done in the past. A part of him figured Tsukishima would bring it up. Tsukishima had perfected his observational abilities to nearly a psychic level, and though he could easily ignore situations and the emotional state of his teammates, he would occasionally reveal enough concern over his friends to question them about it.  
“I’m….ok. We still haven’t really talked much, I’ve been busy, and I’m sure he has been too. I...I miss him.” Tsukishima nodded, and they paused their conversation since they were getting closer to their senpai as they were stopped at a traffic light in a crowd. After a moment everyone began to move again, and the two once again lagged a bit behind to continue their conversation.  
“I’m sure you don’t believe this, but I bet he misses you to.”  
Hinata scoffed, “You’re right, I don’t believe it. He was so indifferent when he left.”  
Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “You may think you feel the same about volleyball as he does, but you really don’t. Sure you’re both ridiculously passionate about it, but he’s always had more trouble bonding with a team. You’re so disgustingly friendly you could pull strangers off the street to play volleyball with and they’d be a team to you.”  
Hinata grinned at Tsukishima’s compliment hidden in an insult.   
“To the King,” Tsukishima continued, “you really were his best friend, probably still are, but I doubt he included that into the equation of his volleyball career, he kept them separate. Do you understand what I’m saying?” He glanced at Hinata.  
Hinata frowned, “I think so...but that still makes him an ass.”  
Tsukishima smirked. “I never said he wasn’t. And besides, I think you’re being a bit stupid too.”  
Hinata craned his neck up to glare at him. “Eh? How am I being stupid?”  
“So what if you’re on rival teams, you can still be friends. Aren’t you enjoying your new team, after all? Plus, you’re not mad at me for being on a rival team.”  
Hinata smirked up at his tall friend, “Hmm? That’s because I couldn’t wait to get away from you, Stingyshima.”  
Tsukishima clicked his tongue, reached over and flicked Hinata’s forehead. “That’s my line, stupid.”  
They caught up to the other three who were peeking into a sporting goods shop. After they all tumbled in and started hunting through the shelves for the volleyball gear, Hinata allowed himself to think on Tsukishima’s words. While Kageyama hasn’t really reached out to him since the start of the semester, neither had he. Maybe Kageyama was waiting for him to reach out first, like he usually does. That thought also made Hinata frown. He was always the first to test the waters with Kageyama after a fight, the first to reach out with an apology. He was tired of always being the first, but was it worth the loss of their friendship to refuse to speak first? Hinata sighed and shook his head. It was not the time to think about it... he was out having a blast with his old friends, and he was determined to make the most of it as he ran smiling up to Tanaka who had found a clearance section on sneakers.   
After perusing the store a bit longer, a few of them purchasing some items they needed, they exited the store and turned right to continue down the street. Next to the sporting goods store was a hair salon, and a picture in the window caught Hinata’s eye.  
“Oh! That haircut is sooooo cool! It’s all like smooth, and then whoosh on top!”  
“It’s called an undercut, dumbass.” Tsukishima snickered.  
“Are you thinking about getting it, Hinata?” Asahi asked.  
Tanaka’s eyes got big as he looked Hinata’s head over. “Oh man, that would look kick ass! You could totally pull it off, Hinata!”  
Even Daichi nodded after looking at his hair appraisingly. “I actually have to agree. It would be a huge change, but I think it would make you look older and more mature.”  
“He needs all the help he can get.”  
“Stupidshima! Hmph, fine...maybe I will.” He bit his lip tentatively. “You guys really think I should?” They all nodded in agreement.  
“Come on!” Tanaka cheered, grabbing Hinata’s arm and pulling him into the shop, the rest trailing behind excitedly, except Tsukishima who sauntered in last with an amused smile.

Sunday morning practice rolled around and Oikawa found himself yawning as he made his way out of the locker room, his teammates shuffling around each other in the small space. He stopped short as he entered the gym as he sees a few of his teammates all huddled in a circle chatting enthusiastically, instead of finishing set up. A wave of curiosity hit him as he slinked a bit closer to see what had everyone in a tizzy. Before he made it to the huddle he could hear Kuroo’s voice.  
“Ok, ok guys, give him some space. Don’t suffocate my handsome little buddy, we’ve gotta finish set-up.”  
They started to split apart, and Oikawa could finally see that in the center of the circle by Kuroo was Hinata. His eyes widened as he gazed at Hinata’s new haircut. It was no longer a mop of crazy orange hair. It was extremely short all the way up to his ears, where orange waves flowed toward his face. It drew attention to Hinata’s surprisingly sharp jawline, and the elegant curve of his neck. His cheeks were tinted pink at the attention, and his radiant smile still graced him with impish innocence, but Oikawa couldn’t deny the new edge of seductive allure Hinata was giving off. Hinata turned his back toward him to ask Kuroo something, and Oikawa felt his eyes continue to travel to his shoulders and back, broader now with his new weight lifting routine. Down further still his eyes traveled, lingering a little on Hinata’s firm looking butt when suddenly he jumped in surprise at a voice beside him.   
“You’re drooling, Oikawa.”  
He turned to find Yamashita, the team’s Libero and vice captain, standing next to him, a smirk on his normally stoic face.   
“W-what? Drooling? I’m not drooling, what’re you talking about, Yamashita-san?” Oikawa stammered, feeling his face growing hot.  
Yamashita snorted. “I’ve seen you charm a lot of people over the past few years, all the guys hate how easily you do it. All you gotta do is turn that stupid movie star smile on and doesn’t matter if it’s a guy, girl, whatever, they’re hooked. But I’ve never seen you look at anybody like that.”  
“Like what?” Oikawa asked, face wincing at the implication.  
Yamashita reached up and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. “Like you think you’re gonna die.” His hand left the shoulder and clapped Oikawa’s back. “Well, keep focused. The team hasn’t picked next year’s captain yet and Kuroo will beat you for sure if you turn into a sniveling love sick puppy.”   
Oikawa gasped at the jab as Yamashita walked away chuckling. He did try his best, as his vice captain suggested, to focus purely on volleyball during practice, and he was fairly successful. It isn’t until practice is nearly over and Oikawa is doing some wall stretches that his focus is swept away by a cheerful voice next to him.  
“Oikawa-san!! Did you see my new haircut? What do you think?!” Hinata was vibrating with enthusiasm next to him, his big bright eyes staring at him expectantly. Oikawa chuckled and scratched the back of his head. “I like it a lot, Hina-chan...it really suits you,” he said softly, a warm smile gracing his face. Hinata beamed and seemed to shine even brighter at the compliment. Oikawa thought he was going to go blind.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of blushing and awkward sexual tension

It was nearing exam times and each player had to meet with the coach to go over their current grades, knowing that if any of them dipped below a certain point they would be unable to stay on the team. Hinata’s grades were consistently much better than they had in high school, however his math course was below average and the coach said he needed to be tutored and boost his grades, or else. Hinata went into panic mode, which only increased with Ono’s panic mode after receiving the same review from the coach over his Chemistry grade. They both wailed dramatically in their misery in their dorm room after meeting with their coach, Kenma sitting cross legged on Hinata’s bed ignoring them as he continued his game.   
“I’m gonna die if I get kicked off the team!” Hinata sobbed, face down into the carpet beside his bed, his limbs spread out.  
Ono shook his head as he gazed at the ceiling, his face pale. “This is it...this is how I die. Chemistry is going obliterate my very existence.”  
Kenma huffed a quiet laugh. “Aren’t you two being just a little dramatic?”  
“No!” They both shouted in unison.   
Kenma sighed and shut his game off and set it on the pillow next to him. “You’re both idiots...I expected this from you Shouyou, but you too, Ono? There’s a simple solution to all of this.”  
They both jerked up and stared at him with tense anticipation.  
“What can we do, Kenma-san?!” Ono cried.  
Hinata nodded vigorously, his unstyled hair traveling every which way above the sleek buzzed section of his head.  
Kenma looked back and forth from them with just a hint of exhaustion written on his typically emotionless face. “You’re on a volleyball team, right? Your upperclassmen want to support you guys as much as possible, and luckily for you there are a couple that are smarter than average.”  
“Ehhhh? Which ones?” Hinata asked eagerly.  
A small smile crept on Kenma’s face, and he gave a little snort. “Don’t let Kuroo hear you ask that. He takes pride in his knowledge of Chemistry. He’s always top of his class.”  
“Kuroo-senpai!!” Ono cheered, and he lunged for his phone and began typing away like his life depended on it.   
“But what about Math?” Hinata whined.  
Kenma rolled his eyes. “I don’t know for certain, but I’m positive Oikawa is smart enough to help you out.”  
Hinata stilled at the revelation, pursing his lips he looked away from Kenma’s face. Kenma’s eyes narrowed as he soaked in the strange reaction from his friend. “Is that a problem, Shoyou? I thought you two were getting along.”  
“Oh! Yeah, we are, very well. Yeah, he’d be a good choice to ask, but I don’t know if he’d be too busy to help me out. He’s very popular, so he might be hanging out with other people, I don’t wanna disturb him in his free time, besides, maybe Math isn’t his best subject, or—“ he stopped when he noticed Kenma studying his face with great interest. Ono’s face popped into view right beside him, startling him, also studying him carefully.  
“Shoyou,” Kenma began hesitantly, “Why is your face so red?”  
“I knew it!!” Ono shouted, and the two smaller men jumped out of their skin. They both turned to Ono, who had a triumphant grin on his face. He pointed directly at Hinata and proclaimed, “You have a crush on Oikawa-senpai!!”  
Hinata gasped dramatically and shook his head vigorously from side to side. “No, no, no, no, no I don’t! Nope, no crush! Not a bit!”  
“Hmm,” Kenma interjected, a finger tapping his chin, “That would explain a lot.”  
“Huh?!”  
“Shouyou, you’re never shy. Never. But around Oikawa you get all quiet and giggly, your face blushes. Yeah, I agree Ono, you’re definitely crushing.”  
“Ha ha!” Ono cheered.  
“No, no, there’s a simple explanation for it, I swear!”  
Kenma lifted an eyebrow as he turned back to Hinata. “Oh? What’s your excuse?”  
“I—I just, around him, you know…” but Hinata drifted off when he realized there was no excuse. There was no escape from the truth that was suddenly drowning him. He fell backwards against the carpet and stared at the ceiling, overwhelmed. “I’m doomed…” he said in a small voice. He could hear Ono cackling next to him.   
After a few minutes of Hinata laying stunned on the carpet, Ono degenerating into a puddle of laughter on the floor, Kenma finally spoke up in his gentle voice. “Then, this could be a good opportunity.”  
Hinata sat up slowly and gazed back at his friend. “An opportunity for what?”  
“An opportunity to gauge whether he feels anything for you as well.”  
Hinata looked vaguely frightened for a moment. “How do I do that?!”  
Ono, who had calmed down enough to creep back into the conversation, spoke up. “What do you mean ‘how do you do that’? Haven’t you ever flirted or dated anyone before?”  
Hinata shrugged, “Briefly, just a girl for a couple months last year, but she grew tired of me choosing volleyball and friends over her.”  
“So, how did you get her to go out with you?”  
“She confessed to me!” Ono looked surprised, and Hinata frowned. “Is that so hard to believe?”  
Ono snorted, “No, no, sorry. Ok, um, so let’s say you get Oikawa-senpai to study with you. I’d say maybe touch him a bit more than usual?”  
Hinata nodded. “Like more high fives and hair ruffles?”  
Kenma gave a light snort, and Ono chuckled, “No, not quite like that. Like grasp his arm gently to get his attention and let your hand stay there for a few moments longer than you need while maintaining eye contact. Or maybe toss your hair a lot and bite your lip seductively.”  
“He’s not a girl, Ono.”  
“I know, but you gotta admit they’re good at this stuff.”  
“That doesn’t mean he should imitate the girls in his fan club.”  
“True, but let’s face it, he needs any help he can get. This is Oikawa-senpai! The man is like a god! Tons of people are trying to get his attention!”  
Kenma groans at the obvious anxiety welling up inside Hinata. “Shouyou, pay no attention to him. Just be yourself, but yeah maybe up the touching a little bit. Just don’t overdo it or you’ll scare him away.”  
“Oh...ok.”  
“Regardless, you should at least text him to see if he’d even be willing to tutor you.”  
“Oh right!” And Hinata jumped up to his night stand where his phone was waiting. He typed out a message quickly, but rewrote it a few times before finally sending it. As soon as he did he sat down next to Kenma on the bed and stared down at his phone in a heavy silence. Kenma and Ono both exchanged smirks but said nothing, one settling back on the bed and continuing his games, the other hopped up on the opposite bed and pulled out a magazine. After a couple minutes Hinata’s phone gave a cheerful DING and Hinata felt his heart stop. He opened the message to read Oikawa’s reply. His face brightened as he took in the positive response, Oikawa relaying that he’d be happy to tutor him and gave him a couple evenings that week that would work for him to start.  
“He’ll do it!” Hinata cried with glee.  
“Woo hoo! Step one of the ‘Seduction of Senpai’ plan is complete!” Ono cheered from his bed. Hinata jumped on top of him and tried to bury his face with a pillow. Kenma continued his games while ignoring the murder attempt taking place across the room.

Two nights later Hinata found himself sitting at a desk in Oikawa’s room, completely alone with the devastatingly handsome older man who was leaning into his space while his eyes took in one of the failed tests laying in front of them. Hinata was terrified that his heart could be heard pounding in the silence of the room. After a few minutes, Oikawa turned to Hinata, his face serious. “Well, the good news is I can definitely see what areas you need help. It looks like you’ve forgotten which formulas to use in each of these situations.”  
Hinata gazed back up into Oikawa’s face, his eyes sparkling with hope. “Does that mean you can help me, Oikawa-san?!” His hand reached up and gripped Oikawa’s upper arm.  
It was Oikawa’s turn to worry that Hinata could hear or maybe even feel his heart pounding at the contact. He took a deep breath hoping his cheeks weren’t turning red as well, and smiled down at the adorable man beside him. “Of course I can help you! What kind of a genius would I be if I couldn’t!” He puffed his chest out and gave Hinata a wink. The giggles that erupted out of Hinata pelted through him til he felt like a slice of Swiss cheese.   
“I really appreciate it, where should we start?”  
“Well, let’s start with the test here, since that’s a good review of stuff you’ve gone over so far. For question one…” Oikawa dove right into his lesson, choosing to focus on Hinata’s studies and not all the distracting feelings Hinata was yanking out of him. He was successful for the most part, and with the right explanation he can tell that Hinata wasn’t stupid, he just got distracted easily and needed to be kept on task. After two hours of constant studying, he stretched and gave a yawn. “Whew, I think that’s good enough for now! You must be exhausted.”  
Hinata shook his head cheerfully. “No, I’m good. I’ve always had good stamina!”  
Oikawa smirked, but subdued the yearning to pull their conversation downhill into dangerous territory. “Yeah, ahem, I’m sure you do. Regardless, let’s call it a night. Too much studying in one night and you’ll probably forget everything I taught you!”  
Hinata grinned at him, “No way could I forget anything you taught me, Oikawa-san! You explain things really well!” He began straightening up his papers and textbook, missing the flush that was creeping up Oikawa’s cheeks.   
Oikawa attempted to distract himself, but his eyes quickly fell to a bit of skin popping out of Hinata’s shirt. His eyes fell downward toward the bottom of Hinata’s pants, which were high enough to show his ankles.  
“Hina-chan?”  
“Yes?”  
“Have you been growing?”  
Hinata whirled around proudly. “I have! I’m glad you noticed!”  
Oikawa chuckled, and let his eyes travel over Hinata’s upper body as well. “It looks like you’ve been growing in other ways too, you’re starting to strain your shirt!”  
Hinata blushed, trying to yank the bottom of his tight shirt down as far as he could. “Yeah, Kuroo-san has been working out with me in the gym.”  
Oikawa hummed appreciatively. “You’re doing a good job, but it looks like you need some new clothes. You should go shopping this weekend and get some things that fit you properly.”  
Hinata scratched his head thoughtfully. “Oh, I’ve never really shopped for myself before.”  
Oikawa yelped in surprise. “Huh? How could you never have shopped for yourself?”  
“Well, my mom always picked clothes out for me, or she’d drag me out against my will. I’ve never been good at it myself.”  
Oikawa sighed, “I cannot believe you’ve never picked out your own clothes. Hina-chan, it’s so much fun! You’re a grown man and you can finally develop your own style!”   
Hinata cocked his head as he thought about it. Then he brightened up and smiled radiantly back at Oikawa. “Could you help me, Oikawa-san?!”  
“Eh?”  
“We could go shopping together this weekend! And then I can buy you lunch as a thank you! It would be a good opportunity to get to know the area bit better too, you have a good style so I’m sure you know all the good places to go! Oh..” he paused in his excitement when he noticed Oikawa was staring at him in silence, his cheeks a little flushed. “Oh, of course, unless you’re busy! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to assume-“  
Oikawa reached out and placed his hands on the slender man’s shoulders, keeping him still and forcing him to look back at him. “No, no, it’s fine, Hina-chan! I’m not busy, I’d love to take you shopping!”  
Hinata sighed in relief. “You would?” He asked in a rather shy voice.  
Oikawa beamed back at him and nodded. He released Hinata’s shoulders and sat back in his chair, scratching his arm nervously. “Of course, I’m sorry, you just caught me off guard. It’s just it sounded like….like you were asking me out on a date.” Oikawa glanced back at Hinata, uncharacteristically shy himself. Hinata stared back at him, processing the words. As it began to soak in, his face turned a deep red, and he stammered as he tried to put words out.  
“Oh! I-I, that’s not what I meant! B-but if you’d like, or if you wouldn’t, that’s ok with me! I would like to, but you’re you, and I’m me, and oh jeeze I’m ruining everything!”  
Oikawa stood up quickly and loomed over Hinata, placing his hands on his boiling hot cheeks, and smiled warmly. “Shh, shh, it’s ok. Take a deep breath. That’s good. Listen, no matter what it is, we won’t make it awkward between us, ok?” Hinata nodded silently in between his hands. “Hina-chan, tell me honestly, would you like our shopping excursion to be a date?”   
Hinata pursed his lips, looking a bit terrified as he thought about it. After a moment though he closed his eyes and nodded slightly. Oikawa let out a breath he was holding, the tension he was unknowingly holding onto dissipating. Hinata opened his eyes and waited for Oikawa to continue, full of anxious hope.  
“Hina-chan,” Oikawa whispered gently, “I’d love to go on a date with you.”  
A smile erupted onto Hinata’s face. Oikawa felt like electricity was humming underneath his skin as he could sense Hinata’s energy level skyrocketing. “You would?! Yes!!!!” Hinata leapt up and wrapped his arms around Oikawa’s shoulders in a bone crushing hug. Oikawa grappled his arms around the body clinging to him to keep them both steady, laughing at Hinata’s adorable enthusiasm.  
“How about Saturday morning then, before lunch” he offered, still chuckling.  
Hinata leaned back in his arms so his face was in front of Oikawa’s, his arms encircling his neck gently. “Mmhmm, that sounds great!” Suddenly Hinata realized their position and started to squirm. “Oh, I’m sorry for jumping on you!”  
Oikawa smirked and wrapped his arms slightly tighter. “Oh, that’s ok, Hina-chan. I don’t mind. We are dating now, after all…” He cooed, leaning his face a little closer.  
“Oi-Oikawa-san?!” Hinata squeaked, squirming a bit more.  
Oikawa chuckled but didn’t move any closer. “Alright, we’ll save it for the date. I’m in no rush.” He gave Hinata a wink as he slowly released his arms and allowed Hinata to slide down to the floor.   
Once he was safely on his feet Hinata hid his face in his hands. “Oikawa-san, you’re killing me!” He mumbled between his fingers.   
Oikawa laughed and ruffled his hair. “Please don’t die on me, I’m really looking forward to Saturday! Would you like me to pick you up at your dorm room around ten?” Hinata didn’t look up, but just nodded his head. “Good, now, I think it’s time we both went to bed. You definitely need your sleep after all that studying.”  
Hinata finally let his hands drop and looked back up at Oikawa, a shy smile on his face. “Ok, then, I’ll see you tomorrow at practice?”  
“Yup, and then Saturday for our date!”  
Hinata nodded his head enthusiastically, gaining confidence every time he heard it. He turned and continued getting his things together. As Oikawa ushered him gently out the door, he turned, smiling up at the handsome face above him. “Thanks again, Oikawa-san...you know, for helping me study, and then our...date.” His face turned away shyly at the last word.  
Oikawa reached out and cupped his jaw, his thumb grazing Hinata’s cheek. “It’s my pleasure, Hina-chan. See you tomorrow.”   
Hinata squeaked out an affirmation instead of actual words, and then scurried off down the hallway to the stairwell. Oikawa shut the door behind him and flopped his back onto it, his hand coming up to clutch his chest. He was overwhelmed at what just happened. He had been trying to ignore the heated feelings he had been generating for Hinata recently, flatly denying it to a couple teammates who have teased him about it. No longer could he deny it, and he felt intense relief at admitting it to himself and overjoyed that Hinata himself had taken the first step, whether he meant to or not. He reached into his pocket and took his phone out. It was close to ten. It was kind of late, but not too late he felt as he unlocked his phone and pressed the first number on his speed dial. Still leaning against the door, breathing deep, he listened to the ringing tone until he heard a gruff greeting in his ear. He smiled and closed his eyes.  
“Hey Iwa-chan, you busy?”  
“No, not really, what is it. You ok?”  
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine...just...something crazy happened, I wanted to talk to you about it.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Date part 1!

Hinata was wasting time in front of the bathroom mirror on Saturday morning, just before Oikawa was supposed to pick him up. He bit his lip as his hands ran quickly through his hair from the back to the front, hoping that the speed would somehow make the strands magically form the way he wanted. He groaned loudly and dropped his head down on the counter with a thud. Just then a knock pounded on the door.  
“Hurry up and finish pooping dude, I need in there!”  
“I’m not pooping!”  
“Well, finish putting your makeup on. You know you’re naturally beautiful, right?”  
Hinata huffed out a laugh and took one more look at himself in the mirror. He didn’t look too bad, save the slight red mark on his forehead. He was able to find one button down shirt that was decent, though just a bit tight, and a pair of jeans that typically showed the ankles but he rolled up a pinch so they hit his calves and looked that short on purpose. With a deep breath he swung the door open to reveal Ono leaning against the door frame.   
“So, do I look ok?”  
“Totally sexy, man. If I wasn’t straight I wouldn’t let him have you.”   
Hinata huffed out a laugh and slipped past his giant of a roommate. He wiped his sweaty hands on the back of his jeans and paced the room a bit, pulling his phone out and checking the time. He still had a few minutes before ten. He returned his phone back to his pocket and plopped down on the bed, wishing Oikawa would be early so he could be relieved from his nerves. Like magic there was a knock at the door. He hopped up like he was sprung from an ejector seat and bounded to the door. With one last swipe through his hair he took a deep breath and opened the door.   
He was glad he took one breath before opening the door, cuz now that Oikawa was standing in front of him, hair perfectly coiffed, a nice shirt and dark jeans that hugged his body just right, and a smile that could probably cure any disease, he totally forgot how to breathe. He wasn’t sure he knew his own name.  
“Hina-chan?”  
“Oh, yeah, that’s my name…” he said in a daze as he continued to stare at his handsome senpai.  
Oikawa chuckled and reached his hand to cup the side of Hinata’s face. “Are you feeling okay?”  
Hinata jerked as if woken from a dream. “Yes! I’m fine, sorry, you’re handsome, I got lost in my own head, are you ready?”  
Oikawa laughed again, and Hinata noticed with delight that his cheeks grew slightly pink. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s go!”  
Hinata reached down and slipped his sneakers on that were laying next to the door. “I’m leaving, Ono! See ya later!”   
Ono poked a damp head out of the bathroom. “Okay Princess! Make sure you’re back by midnight! Be safe, use protection, you know the rules!”  
Hinata rolled his eyes and shut the door, not wanting to retort in front of Oikawa. He was determined to at least pretend to be mature. It still felt like a dream that he was going on a date with someone like him, he did not feel like he was in his league at all. Yet by all appearances Oikawa did not seem to mind it, so he wouldn’t let those kinds of thoughts bug him. He’s always been the underdog, and it was in his nature to work hard to be the best. He would work hard to deserve Oikawa, and hopefully have a lot of fun doing it.  
When they emerged from the dorm, they walked side by side as they headed to the train station, their shoulders brushing. “So, do you have some places in mind?” Hinata asked.  
“Yup, I’ve got a few ideas, and luckily they’re all in the same area, we just have to go a couple stops and we’re there!”  
They chatted happily about how much he could spend and how many outfits he should get. Oikawa explained that the best thing to do on a tight budget was buy some basic items that can be mixed and matched, and easily dressed up or down. Hinata gazed at him in wonder as he listened to Oikawa’s logical reasoning.  
“Would you say you have a certain style, Hina-chan?”  
Hinata shrugged. “Not really. Probably nothing too crazy, I mean I’m kinda loud already, I think maybe I should go with clothes that fit my personality, but doesn’t make it worse?”  
Oikawa smiled thoughtfully. “I like your personality just the way it is, but you’re definitely right about picking something that fits your personality.” His eyes glanced over at Hinata and quickly ran over the length of him. “We should try to find your color.”  
“Eh? My color?”  
“Sure, everyone has that one color that looks like it was made for them, mainly due to their hair color, eye color, and the shade of their skin. Mine’s this certain shade of blue.” He smirked at Hinata and shot him a wink.   
Hinata giggled. “I can imagine,” he said quietly.   
They finally arrived at the train station and luckily their train had just pulled up so they could hop right on. Even for a Saturday morning the car was pretty crowded, so they shuffled through til they spied two seats they could sneak in together. Like Oikawa said, after a couple of stops they were hopping off the train in a shopping district. That particular station was even busier, and Hinata found it hard to keep up with Oikawa in the swarm of people, losing sight of him several times. Hinata almost jumped in the air to get a better view when he felt a warm hand slide into his and hold it firmly.   
“Stay close to me, Hina-chan,” Oikawa purred in his ear, causing goosebumps to erupt across Hinata’s body. With an ornery grin Oikawa led him away from the station with his hand holding tight to Hinata’s. As they walked Oikawa explained that he was going to take Hinata straight to his favorite store that had a good variety of styles and very reasonable prices, and if he found everything he needed they would have no need to go anywhere else and could goof off the rest of their time. It sounded like a great plan to Hinata, and he hopped lightly by Oikawa’s side as they finally came upon the selected store.   
After a brief tour, Oikawa paused and gazed around at the racks deep in thought. At last he nodded and turned to his adorable date whose head was turning everywhere, taking it all in.   
“I think the first thing we should do is figure out what size you are, and then what style would fit your body the best.”  
“And then we find my color?” Hinata inquired innocently.  
Oikawa laughed, “Well, you’ll want some basics in neutral and subtle colors that look good on everyone. But yup, we’ll definitely try to find at least something in your special color.”  
After checking the tags on the clothes Hinata was wearing (Oikawa blushed as he tried not to sneak a better view of inside the clothes and just focus on the tags) and picked out some jeans and shirts a size or two up that Hinata approved the look of, they wandered over to the dressing room to figure out his size and style.   
Hinata was very thankful that Oikawa was there helping him. He was certain the older man was a bit of an expert on shopping the way he wasted no time in gathering the essentials and ushering him into a dressing room to get started. They both laughed when Hinata would swing open the door and strike a different pose for each outfit, walking around a bit like he was on a catwalk at a fashion show. It did, however, give Oikawa the chance to look him up and down and appraise each article of clothing.   
In no time at all they had selected the perfect size and a style that complimented Hinata’s athletic but smaller frame. Oikawa held onto the selections that Hinata was certain he was getting, and after perusing the clearance section for some new T-shirts to wear casually, they had everything they needed. They were heading to the checkout when Oikawa made a dead stop. He pursed his lips as he wandered off to a rack they hadn’t really skimmed through.  
“Oikawa-san? Did you find something else?”  
Adjusting the clothes in his arms, Oikawa snuck a hand free and fingered through the rack til he cried out “Ah ha!” He spun around with a deep hunter green button down and held it up under Hinata’s chin, his eyes squinting as he thought. “You know, Hina-chan...I’m not sure if this is your exact color, but it’s pretty close. I think you’d look damn good in this.”  
Hinata blushed as he took the shirt from Oikawa and looked it over. He could afford to add this last shirt to the pile, and as he sifted the fabric between his fingers he decided he really liked the feel of it as well. He looked back at Oikawa with a huge grin on his face. “Ok, I’ll get it!”  
Once they checked out, they exited the store in high spirits. They each held a bag of clothes, and Hinata snuck his to the hand further away from Oikawa. He still was unsure of reaching out for the long slender hand swinging next to his side, but just in case he left the option open. He didn’t get much of a chance before Oikawa stopped outside a hair salon, similar to the one Hinata had just gone into. He gazed into the window not saying anything, his mouth twisted to the side as he thought.  
“Oikawa-san? Do you need your hair cut?”  
“Hmm? Oh no, I was just thinking…” Oikawa turned to Hinata and gave and impish grin. “Do you think you could wait right here for a moment? I’ll be right back!” After an acknowledging nod from Hinata, Oikawa skipped into the store. Hinata turned his back to the window and let his gaze wander about the street, giving Oikawa privacy to whatever he was doing inside the shop. It was only a couple minutes later when Oikawa dashed back out through he door with a triumphant smile and a slim bag in his hands. “Happy early birthday!” And he hands Hinata the bag and takes Hinata’s shopping bag from him so he can freely reach inside.   
Hinata slips a good sized bottle out of the bag and peers at the label.  
“It’s my favorite brand of styling gel!” Oikawa explained. “It’s really fantastic, and your hair’s thick like mine so I know it’ll work good.”  
“Oooooh, thank you!” Hinata beamed at him. “Will you show me how to use it?”  
“Of course! And that bottle should last you a long time, I doubt you’d need to use it every day. After all,” he reached out and let his fingers curl into Hinata’s hair softly, “I like your hair like this too. It works well on you.”  
They stared at each other for a moment, Oikawa’s fingers caressing Hinata’s locks and pink creeping into both their cheeks. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, though there was an increasing intensity that was building in Hinata’s stomach, like they were just waiting for some sort of triumphant climax. Hinata could hardly stir under the gaze of Oikawa’s eyes that looked like pools of melted milk chocolate swirling through dark chocolate.   
Suddenly Hinata’s stomach growled with an impressive ferocity, and like that the spell was broken. Oikawa burst out laughing as Hinata groaned in embarrassment. “Aaaand I think that’s our cue for lunch,” Oikawa chirped happily, not bothered by the interruption of their “moment”.  
“Oh yeah, I’m paying so you can choose!”  
“You don’t have to pay, Hina-chan, I’ve been enjoying myself immensely!”  
“Still, I told you I would, and I’m a man of my word!” Hinata puffed his chest out in pride, and Oikawa smiled in amusement.   
“Oh, well in that case, I wouldn’t want you to go back on your word. Oh, I know a really good cafe pretty close to here, let’s go there!”   
It was good timing for lunch, a little later than most people were eating, so it was relatively empty with only a couple other customers already seated. They snuck into a cozy booth by the window overlooking the street, the waitress popping up to greet them and get their drink orders. After perusing the menu, Hinata went with something Oikawa recommended after verifying that it had a pretty big portion. Once the waitress returned with their drinks and left with their food orders, they sipped and gazed out at the people passing by on the street.   
“Oikawa-san, can I ask you something?” Hinata asked tentatively.  
“Hmm? Of course! Dates are for getting to know each other, after all.” He added a wink and a dazzling smile, which ignited a flame down in Hinata’s lower stomach.  
Hinata took a quick swig of his water to cool himself down. “I hope this doesn’t bring up sad feelings or anything, but I was just curious if you miss Iwaizumi-san? I mean, I know you told me he’s here in Tokyo, but it’s still hard to see him I’m sure.”  
Oikawa gave Hinata a soft smile and nodded. “Yeah, I miss him a lot. It was much harder our first year. After all, as childhood friends we’d never been apart, we were like brothers! The first year was the most rough, obviously, but in the end it was worth it. We both supported each other in pursuing our dreams, and we try to keep in contact as much as possible.” He paused and regarded Hinata for a moment before continuing. “I think with certain bonds between people, no amount of distance will deteriorate their friendship, you know?”  
Hinata smiled back at him and nodded. “I’m glad! Friendships are important, and he was your teammate too! It’s cool you had all those experiences with him.” Hinata’s face fell slightly. “None of my childhood friends were ever interested in volleyball...I had to nearly force them to play it with me.” His demeanor brightened as he continued. “Though when I got to Karasuno, all that changed. I finally had good friends and teammates! Oh, and I guess we gained some pretty interesting rivals as well.” He shot Oikawa a devilish smile.   
“Oooh?” Oikawa leaned forward, taking the bait happily. “How interesting were these rivals? I’m sure some of them were so wickedly handsome that you felt conflicted about trying to beat them.”  
“Mmm, you’re right! It was hard playing against Kuroo-san, but somehow I managed.” He snickered at Oikawa’s horrified face. His mirth was short lived however when he saw Oikawa lunge under the table and and grab hold of his knees. Hinata’s knees have always been one of his ticklish weak spots, and he erupted into a fit of giggles at the sensation of the dexterous fingers making their way over his knees and legs.  
“Ok, ok, you win!” Hinata pleaded as he tried to breathe. “No one’s more handsome than you, Oikawa-san!”  
At the giggled admission Oikawa sat back with a smug grin on his face. “And you better not forget it!”  
“Don’t worry...I won’t.”   
The waitress brought their food over not long after the tickle fight, and they fell into light conversation about themselves and growing up, getting to know each other a little bit better. As they chatted a few more customers filtered in and out, as well as a larger group of guys, but none of them disturbed the cheerful atmosphere between the two as they finished their food.   
Hinata laughed. “There’s no way! I mean, they’re friends, they have been for years now, but nothing more than that.”  
“I don’t know, Hina-chan, you weren’t there in our freshman dorm, listening to Kuroo-chan’s late night conversations on the phone. I could practically hear the pining in his voice, even though proximity-wise they were both way closer to each other than before.”  
“Yeah, but you can just tell when you hear someone talk about someone they like, Daichi-san was totally cool any time he’d mention Kuroo-san.”  
“Hmm, no you’re right, Sawamura-kun is definitely more subtle about it. But just wait til you see them interact now, you’ll see how easily Kuroo-chan can get under his skin. In a sexy way that is,” he chuckled.  
“Ha! Now that I would love to see..now we just gotta find a way to get them to meet up!”  
“Oh, good idea! We’ll have to arrange a hang out where we’ll have to invite the both of them. How about I have a few of us over to my place for drinks, and I subtly mention that you really miss your old senpai, regardless of you just seeing him, and maybe suggest he invite him?”  
Hinata nodded enthusiastically, excited about their secret plan. Oikawa pulled his phone out and began typing out a message to Kuroo, pausing to verify with Hinata on the wording so it doesn’t sound suspicious. As they worked on the message, they felt a tall presence hovering by the table.  
“Hinata?”  
Hinata glanced up at the person and inhaled sharply in shock.  
“Kageyama?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun duuuuuuuun!!!!!!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date part 2: The long awaited confrontation between Hinata and Kageyama, and two other people entirely!

“Kageyama?”  
The tall figure beside their table blinked at Hinata, his eyebrows knitted together as he stared.  
“What are you doing here?” He finally asked.  
“Psht, eating lunch, whaddya think?”  
Kageyama shrugged. “I haven’t really seen you around here before.”  
“We were shopping.”  
“Oh...we?” Kageyama looked confused. Hinata raised an eyebrow, his mouth curling into a smirk. He tipped his head toward his companion and Kageyama’s face followed, his dark blue eyes widening as he took in his old senpai and rival.  
“Yoo hoo, Tobio!” Oikawa gave him a sickeningly sweet smile.  
“Oikawa-san! What are you doing here?”  
“A little slow today, aren’t we, Tobio? I believe Hina-chan already told you we were eating lunch after shopping?”  
“H-Hina-chan?” Kageyama jerked his head back and forth between the two at the table, both smiling in amusement at Kageyama’s slightly horrified expression.  
“Well! As much as I’d love to tease the daylights out of my old kouhai, I need to visit the restroom. I’ll take my time, so go ahead and visit with him, Hina-chan. I’m sure you have a lot to talk about.” And with an encouraging smile to Hinata he slipped out of the booth and weaved through the tables toward the restroom.  
Kageyama still stood beside the table, looking thoroughly confused.  
“Sit, Bakageyama! You look stupid standing there!”  
“Shut up, Dumbass, this is weird!” Regardless he slid into the booth opposite Hinata, who shrugged.  
“What’s weird?”  
“You here with-with him!” And he gestured to the restroom.  
“It’s not that weird, he’s my senpai now, we spend a lot of time together. He’s not as bad as I used to think. Great actually!”  
Kageyama leaned forward, his face etched with worry. “Did he drug you? Hypnotize you? Maybe some sort of blackmail?”  
Hinata laughed, “Shut up, I know it’s different for both of you, you’re both setters and rivals. But seriously, he’s super cool to me.”  
Kageyama sat back and stared at Hinata with his eyebrows still furrowed, his eyes wandering around his face and then his upper body that could be seen over the table. “You’ve changed a lot. Did you get a haircut?”  
“Yup! I went when I got together with our senpai and Tsukishima the other day.”  
“Hmm...you look more muscular too.”  
“Yup! I’ve been working out with Kuroo-san! It’s been upping my power strike!” Hinata flexed his bicep and patted it with his other hand.  
Kageyama snickered, “It’s probably made you even more uncoordinated.”  
“That’s not true!”  
Kageyama glanced back at the restroom where Oikawa still hasn’t emerged. “Still, you could be hanging out with Kuroo-san, why are you with him?”  
Hinata sighed, “I TOLD you, because I wanted to. We’re on a….a date.” He said the last word quietly and glanced up at Kageyama’s reaction.  
Kageyama squinted and leaned forward as if he didn’t hear Hinata right. “A...date? You’re dating him?”  
“Well, yeah! Is that a problem?” He answered quietly, playing with a straw wrapper on the table.  
“What? No, not really. It’s just weird...you’re really different.”  
“Is that bad?”  
Kageyama shrugged but all the confusion and worry had dissipated from his face, making it look as nonchalant as ever.  
Hinata sighed with a relieved smile. “So...how have you been?”  
“Good, I really like my team. They’re not as friendly as Karasuno, but that’s ok. We’re strong.”  
Hinata nodded, and then smirked. “How are your grades, Kageyama-kun?”  
Kageyama frowned. “Not great.”  
Hinata giggled.  
“What about your grades then, Idiot?”  
Hinata grinned smugly. “Not that bad! I’m doing a lot better this year, except in math of course. But, well, I’ve got myself a good tutor now so it should get better.” He flushed slightly when he mentioned his tutor. Kageyama scrunched up his nose.  
Just then he door to the restroom flung open violently and Oikawa stormed out, looking absolutely livid. He stomped over to the table and looked at Hinata.  
“Sorry Hina-chan, I’ve gotta get out of here. You can continue talking to Tobio, you haven’t spoken in a while, I know. I’ll just wait outside.” Before Hinata could answer Oikawa fled the cafe and stood in front of the window with his back to them, pacing a bit in agitation. Hinata quickly waved over the waitress with the check and gave her his card.  
“I wonder what happened, he looks pissed,” Hinata said worryingly to Kageyama, who looked just as confused. The door to the restroom opened again and they looked up to see who just came out.

A few minutes before…  
Oikawa sauntered into the bathroom without really having to use it. He loitered in front of the mirror and washed his hands, looking over his face for any signs of stray crumbs. He was runnning damp hands through his hair to fix a couple strays when the door opened. He glanced quickly but then did a double take in horror.  
“Ushiwaka?!”  
His sworn enemy loomed in the doorway, looking confused at Oikawa’s presence in the restroom. “Ah, Oikawa. I didn’t know you were here.”  
“Psht, I’d be disturbed if you knew I was here and followed me into a bathroom.”  
Ushijima gave a slight shrug. “How is your team this season?”  
Oikawa stuck his nose in the air. “Great! Fabulous as always, we’re having an amazing season!”  
Ushijima didn’t look disturbed by Oikawa’s mocking air. He simply nodded slightly. “Good, I look forward to our match.”  
Oikawa hissed through his teeth, his insides boiling at Ushijima’s lack of concern. “Oh, so do I, Ushiwaka. I look forward to seeing you cry when we beat you.”  
Again Ushijima showed no change in emotion. “I doubt it. We have Kageyama.”  
“Oh? But he’s a first year, I wouldn’t think he’d get much play time.”  
“On the contrary, they made him first string.”  
The statement shook him to the core. It was nearly unheard of for a first year to just be accepted as the first year setter. Even he had to wait til part way through his second year before he got his proper play time in. A sick feeling twisted in his stomach as he realized that Kageyama has probably greatly improved his skills and far surpassed him. He took a deep breath to steady his voice.  
“Oh, is that so? Well, your coach must have faith in him to put him on first string already! Well, hopefully his lack of experience doesn’t come to haunt you later.” He waved his hand dismissively as he walked by Ushijima towards the door. “Besides, we have our own set of excellent players, so I’m sure victory won’t come that easily to you.”  
“Do you mean Hinata Shouyou?”  
That stopped Oikawa dead in his tracks. The twisted feeling that had been swirling in his stomach suddenly started churning harder. At his silence, Ushijima continued.  
“It doesn’t matter. He’s not even a weapon without his partner, he’s useless. We have Kageyama.”  
Oikawa expected him to taunt him with Kageyama. He always knew his kouhai would surpass him, so though it pissed him off to no end, it was always there in his mind and definitely no surprise. But to hear Hinata dismissed like a mere annoyance to Ushijima boiled him with rage. He whirled around to face his nemesis and walked right up to him. He leaned forward into Ushijima’s space with his mouth in a sneer.  
“Useless? Tch. As usual, Ushiwaka, your inability to see past your big ugly nose has surpassed even my imagination. You know nothing about Hina-chan. No he doesn’t have Kageyama any more but you’re completely missing the point of the matter.”  
Ushijima raised his eyebrows. “Which is?”  
Oikawa leaned back and turned around, making his way back to the restroom door. With his hand on the handle he turned his head slightly. “He doesn’t need Kageyama. He’s got me.” And he swung the door open violently and rushed out before Ushijima could say anything else.

Hinata and Kageyama watch as Ushijima makes his way to their table. His eyes flicker up to the shorter one. “Hinata Shouyou,” he greeted with a nod.  
“Ushijima-san,” Hinata greeted politely back. “What did you say to Oikawa-san? He looked upset.”  
“I said what I usually say to him before a match, that we will inevitably beat his team. He reacted the same as usual, but when I mentioned you I suppose it set him off. I do not know why he had gotten so angry, I was only telling the truth.”  
Hinata narrowed his eyes and slipped out of the booth. Even though he had grown a few centimeters, it hardly even made a dent in the difference of their heights. Regardless Hinata raised up his chin defiantly, his arms crossing in front of his chest. “You say you were telling the truth, Ushijima-san, but you don’t know the future. You said the same stuff to Kageyama and me and Karasuno beat you that year, if you remember.”  
Ushijima cocked his head as he stared unperturbed down at his feisty opponent. “It is true, that did happen once. However, Kageyama was by your side and now he is not. He’s on my team this time.”  
Hinata shrugged. “Sure, rub it in my face, but my team is great. And I have Oikawa-san by my side now and he’s the Grand King!”  
Ushijima frowned at the odd nickname and looked at Kageyama for clarification. Kageyama simply shook his head, so Ushijima turned back to Hinata’s confident smile. Hinata continued before he could say anything.  
“Well, it’s pointless talking about it like this like ‘Oh I’m gonna beat you cuz I have him’ and ‘no I’ve got this guy so I’ll win’. You know how it is in volleyball, it could be anyone’s game, and there are more than two people playing at a time. We’ll see you on the court, Ushijima-san. That’s when we’ll really see. If you don’t mind, I’m going to rejoin Oikawa-san so we can continue our date.” He gave a slight bow, “Bye Ushijima-san!” He snuck past him and paused by Kageyama and turned to face his old friend. Without a word he reached out and flicked him on the forehead and scurried away to the door of the cafe.  
“Hinata, you dumbass!”  
He snickered as he opened the door, “Kageyama! Friends text each other, stupid!”  
Kageyama’s frown softened slightly and the corner of his mouth turned up. “Hmph, speak for yourself.”  
With one last grin at his old friend Hinata stepped out of the cafe, his eyes automatically searching the street for Oikawa. On the other side of the cafe’s window Oikawa was leaning against the building typing away on his phone, a dark frown on his face. A breeze picked up and ruffled through his hair, and it struck Hinata how handsome he was, even when he was pissed.  
“Oikawa-san?”  
The other man looked up from his phone, his face softening with a slight smile as his eyes fell upon Hinata.  
“Ah, Hina-chan, you’re all done with Tobio?” He asked as he pocketed the phone and walked towards him.  
“Yeah, it’s all good, I’m glad we had a chance to talk for a bit. I’m sorry though it interrupted our lunch, and Ushijima-san said those things to make you mad. Are you okay?”  
Oikawa’s face flashed with disgust at the mention of Ushijima. “Did that brute tell you what he told me?”  
Hinata shrugged, “More or less, but it makes little difference to me. I’m used to being underestimated, you know?”  
Sadness crept onto Oikawa’s face as he considered what Hinata just said. “Well, I guess being underestimated has its benefits,” Oikawa said softly with a small smile.  
Hinata smiled back, “It does?”  
Oikawa reached out and enveloped Hinata in his arms and pressed him into his chest. Immediately Hinata wrapped his arms around Oikawa’s back and settled his face against his shirt. “Yup, we get to see their stupid faces when you kick their ass in a way they never saw coming.”  
Oikawa shivered as he felt Hinata’s giggles ripple across his chest. He glanced back through the window of the cafe to see Ushijima and Kageyama staring at them, looking confused and curious at seeing Oikawa and Hinata hugging each other tightly on the street. Oikawa smirked into Hinata’s soft unruly hair and lifted a middle finger at them behind his precious date’s back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that was a rough cliffhanger so I wanted to tie it up quickly so no one was held in suspense. This doesn’t completely tie up everything between Kageyama and Hinata, but from observing their fights within the anime and manga I always felt that by simply clearing the air between them and moving on all the drama and hurt feelings kind of fade quickly. This is just a good starting point to keep their friendship going despite being rivals.  
> Just so you know I really don’t plan on the next update coming so quickly, these past 3 chapters flowed really nicely into each other.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date part 3! And we get into an exciting volleyball game and more reunions!

After moving away from the cafe, Oikawa and Hinata decided to walk a little bit longer to shake off the confrontation with Ushijima. They were both unnaturally quiet, trying to think of what to say and finding no topics of interest. As they came upon a crosswalk a few blocks from the cafe, Oikawa suddenly stopped.   
“Oikawa-san?”  
It was like a string was strung through Oikawa’s body and yanked up as a smile popped on his face. “I love that bakery! Let’s go, Hina-chan!” Without waiting for an answer he grabbed Hinata’s hand and pulled him along to the other side of the street, snaking around the rest of the crowd also crossing. Because of the rush, Hinata had little time to contemplate how perfectly his hand fit inside of Oikawa’s when they finally arrived at the bakery door.   
Oikawa stopped as he stood in the open door and leaned down to Hinata.  
“This is my treat, Hina-chan, so order what you want,” He whispered in a low voice that sent shivers down Hinata’s spine. His cheeks felt hot as he gave Oikawa a shy smile. It amazed him how easily Oikawa could turn on his seductive mode, or perhaps it was just came naturally.  
After perusing the selections through the glass panel, they decided to get matching cupcakes with frosting. They settled in a cozy back booth so their time there would be uninterrupted, and in no time small giggles floated out as they tried to dab icing on each other’s noses. Through their playfulness the conversation began to flow again with ease. A ping from Oikawa’s phone startled them both. With a frown Oikawa checked to see who it was from, and upon reading the message his face resembled a fox who just snuck into a hen house.  
“Ooooh it’s from Kuroo-chan.”  
“What does he want?” Hinata asked, nibbling on the last bits of his cupcake.  
“Remember that text we sent him at the cafe about having a little get together? Well, he remembered this weekend we’re playing Chuo which means Bokuto and Megane-kun will be playing. He said it’s perfect timing to invite them, regardless of whoever wins it should be fun.”  
Hinata perked up. “Oh! That’s a great idea, I haven’t seen Bokuto-san in ages! I just saw Tsukishima, but that’s ok, he shouldn’t tease me too much with the distractions there,” he giggled, knowing that three years as teammates had softened the bite of Tsukishima’s salty remarks.   
Oikawa nodded, “And with him there, it’ll be more likely we can rope Sawamura-kun into it.”   
“Oh yeah! I still think you’re crazy.”  
“Don’t underestimate my gaydar, Hina-chan!” Oikawa chirped as he typed out a message back to Kuroo.  
Hinata giggled. “Did I ping on your gaydar then, Oikawa-san?”  
Oikawa did not look up from his phone and continued typing. “Um, not exactly? It’s always a little inaccurate when you’re interested in the other party.” A light flush creeped on his face even though he still didn’t look up.  
Hinata squirmed a little with delight at the implication that Oikawa was interested in him before he had asked him out. He toyed with the cupcake wrapper a little as he waited for Oikawa to finish his message, a pleased smile on his face. He stilled when he felt a finger graze his cheek. He glanced up with wide eyes as he saw Oikawa gazing at him with intensity, pulling his fingers back with a little icing on the tips that had obviously come from Hinata’s cheek. As Oikawa held his gaze he dipped his finger in his mouth.  
“Mmmmm, you’re really sweet, Hina-chan.”  
Hinata’s face exploded with color and he hid it behind his hands. “Oikawa-san! You can’t just do things like that!”  
He heard Oikawa chuckle. “Oh? And why can’t I?”  
“It’s bad for my heart!”   
He felt Oikawa’s slender hands envelop his as they gently pulled from them from his face.   
“It’s fine,” he answered with a warm smile, “You’re bad for my heart too.”  
The sexual tension between them was spiking to nearly uncomfortable levels, and Oikawa realized they were still sitting in a booth with a table between them in the middle of a crowded bakery. With a clearing of his throat he suggested they head on back to their dorm. Hinata nodded vigorously in agreement, wanting to relieve the slamming rhythm in his chest. It did not help, however, when they left Oikawa immediately grabbed is hand as they made their way back to the train station. Even as they sat on the rickety train his hand remained enveloped in Oikawa’s, his thumb pressing little circles into Hinata’s palm. His heart continued to hammer even up to his dorm room door. Oikawa stood close to him as he gave his hand a little squeeze. With his other hand he set the shopping bags down against the door and cupped Hinata’s cheek, guiding it upward so Oikawa could see his face.  
“I had a really nice time today, Hina-chan.”  
“M-me too! Thank you for coming and helping me shop.” Hinata bit his lip. He had only dated briefly in high school, and nothing he went through ever compared to the maelstrom of emotions slamming in his chest.  
With a small smile and a brief nervous hesitancy, Oikawa quickly brought his head down alongside Hinata’s and pressed his lips against the flaming hot cheek. When his lips released gently he moved them to hover over Hinata’s ear. “I’ll go ahead and plan the next date, since it’s my turn. See you tomorrow at practice, Hina-chan.”  
Hinata’s entire body was frozen the moment Oikawa’s lips had touched his face, and he remained so even after Oikawa chuckled and left him standing by his door to head back to his own room. He couldn’t even breathe for a few moments, earning a few odd looks as other students walked to and from their own rooms.   
The door to his room flung open and both him and Ono shrieked (both at an embarrassing eye pitch).   
“What are you doing just standing there?!” Ono cried, clutching his chest as he attempted to keep his heart from flying out.  
“I—just...I don’t know, I just got back!”  
“Ugh, come in, I was about to go out and grab something for dinner, but I wanna hear how it went...right after I change my pants.”  
“Sorry,” Hinata apologized, mind still reeling from his eventful date, and shuffled through the door.

The next week flew by, and the team was gearing up for their highly anticipated game against Chuo. Hinata tried to remain focused, and he mainly succeeded except occasionally he would get distracted by a certain good looking setter sending him dazzling smiles, causing him to receive an embarrassing amount of volleyballs to the face. Kuroo and a couple other of his upperclassmen made sure to bring him back to reality with an onslaught of teasing, chiding him to get his mind on the game.   
The morning of the game Hinata found himself to be a little jittery. He knew it was still not likely he’ll be put into the game, but the couch had been toughening up the drills for the first years, and he felt like his time was coming. He clutched his stomach as he snuck off to the bathroom. He reached a shaky hand out to grip the handle when it yanked back to reveal a huge looming figure. Hinata jumped at the sudden appearance, but the fear on his face melted immediately into a wide grin when he saw who it was.  
Oikawa was doing his stretches as he glanced anxiously about the gym, not spotting the flash of orange hair anywhere. He turned and trotted toward the net where Kuroo was doing is stretches, chatting with the bespeckled lanky Karasuno graduate stretching as well on the other side of the net.   
“Kuroo-chan, have you seen Hina-chan?”  
Kuroo glanced around quickly himself and shrugged. “Nope, I haven’t seen him since we left the locker room. What about you, Tsukki?”  
Tsukishima sighed as stretched his tricep, “It’s Tsukishima, and no I haven’t seen him. Though…” he paused as he adjusted his sports glasses on his face, “If I’d have to hazard a guess, he probably went to the bathroom. If he’s been there a while he probably ran into someone scary.”  
Oikawa cocked his head at the statuesque blonde. “Someone scary? What do you mean?”   
Tsukishima snorted, “Every single year when he goes to the bathroom during tournaments, he inevitably runs into a frightening rival.” He leered through the net at Oikawa. “I believe during our first year you were one of them.”  
Oikawa’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and Kuroo gave an over dramatic gasp. “You scared Chibi-chan in the bathroom? How could you do that to your sweet Hina-chan?!” His voice stressed the nickname reserved only for Oikawa’s use as his mouth turned into a sly grin.  
“No, no, no, I didn’t scare him! Ushijima was there too!! Just the sight of his face could scare anybody!”  
“Uh huh, right.” Kuroo said as if unconvinced.   
“Well, who could he have run into now, should I go check on him?” Oikawa suggested, wanting to focus more on the current problem, and not one of Hinata’s regretful first impressions of him. Before either Kuroo or Tsukishima could answer, a series of whoops and cheers cut across the gym and echoed across the walls. Everyone whirled around toward the direction of the gym doors where a larger than life Bokuto Koutarou was barreling into the gym with Hinata on his back. Laughs erupted from both teams and the scattered audience as everyone watched Bokuto twirl and hop with his old protege holding on for dear life around his mile long shoulders, giggling with happiness. Kuroo was bent over laughing at the ridiculous show, while Tsukishima watched with no emotion as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Oikawa did not laugh however, watching the entire scene with his lower lip sticking out in a pout. Bokuto lurched to a stop right in front of the net beside Kuroo and Oikawa, kneeling down gently so Hinata could slide off easily. His big hands held onto Hinata’s shoulders as the smaller man swayed in dizziness.  
“Hey, hey, hey, Tsukki! Look who I picked up in the bathroom!”  
Tsukishima gazed at his old teammate, unimpressed. “You should’ve left him there.”  
Bokuto snorted as he ruffled Hinata’s hair. “Ahh, I missed my Chibi-chan! Pity you didn’t come to Chuo, we would’ve had a blast!”   
A set of arms snaked around Hinata from behind and pulled him into Oikawa’s chest. “Oh, but I think he really enjoys it here, Bokuto-kun.” Oikawa’s voice came out a touch of frost. Bokuto cocked his head at Oikawa, but Kuroo simply patted him on the back.  
“Now, now, don’t pay him any attention, Bokuto. He’s just being jealous.”  
Bokuto’s eyebrows shot up as he turned back to Oikawa in concern. “Oh, did you want a ride too, Oikawa? You’re quite a bit bigger than Hinata but I think I could handle it.”  
On the other side of the net Tsukishima snorted behind his hand, Kuroo releasing a string of maniacal chuckles. Hinata glanced up to find Oikawa’s mouth twisted in irritation, so he quickly turned his face back to Bokuto.  
“Bokuto-san! We’re already behind in stretches, we had better catch up!”  
“Ah! You’re right! We’ll talk later after we kick your ass!” With a bellowing laugh he ducked under the net, roped his arm around Tsukki, and yanked his lanky kouhai along with him toward their other teammates.  
For the first set Tsukishima remained on the bench with the other first years like Hinata and his teammates, but Bokuto raged in the game with a vibrant enthusiasm. While Hinata’s team battled furiously, it just wasn’t enough to take the first set. After a water break and good pep talk the team refocused, determined to take the next set. Kuroo in particular was focused on shutting down his long term rival and friend. It was an incredibly grueling back and forth, but bit by bit they began shutting Bokuto down enough that the frustration was starting to boil in the spikey haired wing spiker. It was Bokuto’s turn to serve, and his teammates began sending each other some nervous glances, a couple even putting their hands on the back of their heads. With a grunt Bokuto sent the ball barreling straight into the net with such force it looked like it might burst through. It was then that the coach decided to pull Bokuto out and send him to the bench. Hinata had a bad feeling about the effect that would have on his old mentor, and he glanced at Kuroo and saw his lips in a tight line, knowing he was thinking the same thing. Without Bokuto the other team had calmed down, but without the presence of the loud third year there wasn’t enough gusto to win that set.  
Going into the third set, the coach decided to throw Bokuto back into the mix, but it did nothing to help the broody mood emanating from him. After several points won by Hinata’s team in succession, the coach from Chuo made a bold decision. With a whistle from the ref, one of the middle blockers were removed and Tsukishima joined the court, settling next to his grumpy senpai. The presence of the tall blonde had an immediate effect on the mood, not invigorating the team like some players would, but bringing a determined focus. As he found his place in front of the net by Bokuto, he placed a hand on his bulky shoulder.   
“Wow, how embarrassing, Bokuto-san. Will you be able to take the title of Ace next year at this rate? Maybe I’ll take it instead, and I’m not even trying.”  
Bokuto froze at the series of jabs from his younger but taller kouhai. Everyone on the court and benches could hear what was said since Tsukishima did not bother using a soft voice. Hinata winced, wondering how this would influence Bokuto’s mood. Bokuto was silent for a few moments, but then a smirk began to grow on his face as he jerked toward Tsukishima and pointed in his face.  
“Ha, ha! Keep dreaming Tsukki! You may have talent, but you’ll never catch up to me!” He clapped his hands and yelled at his teammates. “Hey hey! What’s with this mood? We’re not that far behind, let’s get it!” A resounding cheer erupted from his teammates. Ono elbowed Hinata, interrupting his energetic clapping for the opposite team’s enthusiasm. With renewed vigor combined with Tsukishima’s added observational skills and laser focus, they fought hard enough to steal the final set from Hinata’s team, though just barely.   
Hinata’s teammates panted with exhaustion and disappointment, but they all shook hands under the net with polite diplomacy. After cool down and stretching, Hinata hung by the net to chat with Tsukishima. He was sad they had lost, but he was happy for his friend that he got some play time in. They were interrupted when they heard clapping nearby. They turned to see Daichi jogging toward them with a smile on his face.   
“Daichi-san!! What are you doing here?”  
“Kuroo texted me earlier this week. I couldn’t resist watching two of my old teammates playing, even if it’s against each other. Well done, Tsukishima!”  
Tsukishima offered his old captain a small polite smile, “Thank you, Daichi-san.”  
Daichi smiled in amusement and scratched the side of his face. “I have to admit, that was an interesting strategy getting Bokuto back on track.”   
Tsukishima shrugged, “I’m not gonna coddle him with little boosts to his ego, he’s a grown man. It’s really just luck it actually works.”  
At that moment Bokuto barreled into their conversation, throwing his tree trunk arms amazingly around all three of them. “Hey, hey, Sawamura!! You coming to Kuroo’s with us later?”  
Daichi laughed, “Yup, I’ll be there!”   
“Sweet! We’ll see you then! Hurry up, Tsukki, or I’m gonna use up all the hot water!” He took off like a shot toward the locker rooms, a few of his teammates chasing after him, making Hinata wonder if Bokuto stealing all the hot water was a common occurrence.   
Tsukishima sighed and said goodbye, following lazily after his boisterous senpai and teammates. 

They all convened a little while later into Kuroo’s dorm room, lounging around the coffee table on the sofa and floor pillows. Kuroo handed out a few beers, but as Tsukishima and Hinata both reached for one Daichi’s hands covered both bottles, a stern look on his face.  
“Not this year, kids.”  
Tsukishima shrugged, leaning back on the sofa, but Hinata whined. “Ahhhh Daichi-san, I’m so close! Just one?”  
Daichi snorted, “Close isn’t close enough, Hinata. Next year.”  
Hinata pouted, but Oikawa giggled next to him. “Sorry, Hina-chan, I agree with Sawamura-kun. Don’t worry, though,” he leaned a little closer to his ear, “next year we’ll get to try all sorts of things.”  
Hinata giggled and hid his red face in his arms that were wrapped around his knees. Daichi however narrowed his eyes at Oikawa. “What kinds of things, Oikawa? That sounded rather suspicious.”  
Oikawa sat straight up and laughed nervously. “Oh, I didn’t mean anything bad, honestly! I just meant that he’ll be older and can drink. That’s it! We won’t be doing anything else, and I’ll make sure he keeps it to a minimal limit, Papa Crow!”   
Daichi’s scowl didn’t disappear, his eyes traveling to the arm Oikawa had slipped around Hinata’s shoulders. When he saw where Daichi was looking, he jerked his hand back and grabbed up his beer, guzzling it down as he looked in a direction not towards Hinata or Daichi.   
“You two seem close…” Daichi muttered suspiciously.  
Tsukishima snorted. “Of course they’re close, they are dating.” Bokuto and Daichi squawked in surprise, while Kuroo simply placed his hand in his palm and groaned.  
Hinata and Oikawa glanced nervously at each other and then back to Tsukishima.  
“How did you know that, Stingyshima?!”  
Tsukishima stared at him with one eyebrow cocked above his dark glasses. “Because I have eyes, idiot.”  
Daichi turned to Kuroo. “Did you know about this? Why didn’t you tell me?”  
Kuroo lifted his face tentatively from his palm, his mouth in an apologetic grin. “Weeeeeellll, it’s just kind of a recent development after all. It’s not like they were pining for each other since the beginning of the year or anything…” he trailed off when Daichi’s frown turned darker, knowing he wasn’t convincing him of his innocence at all. The tension was wound pretty tight as Daichi glared and others winced in fright, and Tsukishima took a swig of Bokuto’s beer without anyone noticing.   
“Oh!” Suddenly Bokuto cried, startling everyone in the room. “That’s why you were jealous!” He pointed at Oikawa, and then turned to Hinata. “I think it’s safe if you wanna hop on his back, Chibi-chan. With his height I think he can handle it.”  
It was Tsukishima’s turn to drop his face into his palm, and Kuroo fell onto the floor in a barrel of laughs. Even Daichi began to snort into his hand while Oikawa and Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. Kuroo took the opportunity to challenge Daichi to a drinking race, shoving him to the other side of the coffee table before he could protest and naming Bokuto the ref, who leapt off the couch with a cheer and settled down between them, immediately spouting the rules in a very serious tone. The other three watched in amusement as the competition began, Kuroo beating a dazed Daichi by a landslide. As Kuroo did an obnoxious victory dance, Daichi rolled up his shirt sleeves, determined not to let it happen again. Hinata cheered for his old captain while Oikawa chanted Kuroo’s name. Tsukishima simply leaned back with a smirk on his face. Daichi chugged the next beer in record time, and overwhelmed with the sense of victory did his own little dance on his side of the table. Kuroo, though soundly defeated, leaned back against the sofa with his eyes wide, following the swing of Daichi’s hips as his cheeks flushed a little pinker. Hinata turned to look at Oikawa, who returned his gaze with a smug grin.   
“I told you!” He muttered softly enough that the competitors could not hear.  
“I can’t believe you were right about Kuroo-san,” Hinata whispered back, but then cocked his head. “But Daichi-san still hasn’t shown any interest?”  
“You’re kidding, right?” Tsukishima muttered next to him, and they leaned in his way so they could continue discussing it quietly. “Have you ever seen Daichi-san dance? Let alone swing his hips like that?” He gave a little head jerk toward his dancing senpai. “I don’t think it’s the alcohol making him act like that.” They all turned to observe the scene as Daichi finally settled back down. He leered at Kuroo and gave him a big wink.   
Kuroo returned it with a sly smirk and leaned toward him over the coffee table, propping his chin on his fist. “Oh ho, that was some pretty good dancing, Sawamura. Pity I don’t have any ones in my wallet, maybe I could’ve made it last a little longer.”  
Daichi’s face grew beet red as Bokuto busted up laughing. Daichi refused to continue the contest on account of not wanting to die a young death, but they all settled back and enjoyed the rest of the evening, forgetting about the earlier tension caused by the revelation of Hinata and Oikawa dating.   
A little ping from Oikawa’s phone shook him from the conversation he was holding between Tsukishima and Hinata. As his eyes scanned the message, an evil grin spread out on his face. He looked up at the others in complete delight.  
“Guess what!! I just had it from a reliable source that at this moment Ushijima is crying his eyes out over their first loss of the season!” He gave a cheer as he pumped his fists in the air.  
“I doubt he was crying,” muttered Tsukishima, but no one heard him over the rousing cheers from the rest of the group, Daichi forgetting that his other kouhai was also on that team.  
“Who’s this reliable source,” asked Daichi curiously.  
Oikawa stuck his nose up in the air with pride, “My own spy! One so secretly placed no one would suspect as he gives me all the information I need-“  
“It’s Iwaizumi, obviously,” Kuroo interrupted.  
Oikawa gasped dramatically. “How did you know?”  
Kuroo held up three fingers, pointing in turn to each one. “First, he goes to their school so he’d be one the first to hear. Second, he’s not on the volleyball team so he has no reason to keep the information from you. Third, he’s your best friend, do you think we’re stupid?”  
Oikawa pouted, but it was gone as he rescanned the message with glee. “Hee, heee! I’m so happy they lost! Oh, Hina-chan I can’t wait til we beat them too!” And he threw his arms around Hinata as they giggled together, forgetting about the other people present.  
“Awww, they’re kinda cute,” cooed Bokuto as he watched the two snuggle.  
Daichi no longer looked angry, but glanced over at Kuroo. “So, is it ok, you think? Will Oikawa treat him alright?”  
Kuroo snorted and gave him a toothy grin. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. Oikawa treats him like a princess.”  
Daichi chuckled, “Well, that’s hard to imagine, but I trust you.”  
“Ooooh?” Kuroo purred as he leaned toward Daichi with a smirk.   
Daichi didn’t move away, but rolled his eyes with a smile. “Yup...unfortunately.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata worries a little bit about his relationship with Oikawa, the team gets more training in, and they play another team where some unexpected things occur.

The next couple of weeks flew by as the team regrouped itself and trained even harder to prepare for their next game, determined not to lose again. The coach split the team in two, incorporating the first years and a couple second stringers on both sides as well, and pitted them against each other to work out any kinks in their gameplay. He also mixed the students up occasionally so they get used to working with any kind of team formation they may end up with in an actual game. It filled Hinata with a new sense of vigor, desperate to improve himself enough that he might sneak into a game before the end of the year. With some inner turmoil he contemplated the possibility of their team being pitted against Ushijima and Kageyama’s team and the coach deciding not to put him in at all. The thought burned in his gut and he used that fire to fuel his focus as he trained day after day.   
Luckily his competitive thoughts and exhausted body were granted a reprieve whenever Oikawa pulled him out on a date. After their first date they kept things simple, one night going to see a new action flick, another to visit the elusive Tokyo Tower (which ended up way bigger than any transmission tower Hinata had ever seen, he noted internally with a lot of embarrassment). The dates were fun and relaxing, and Oikawa and Hinata developed an ease to their relationship as they continued getting to know each other in the midst of their grueling schoolwork and intense training.   
There was, however, a tiny little niggling feeling that kept bothering Hinata about his relationship with Oikawa. The older man seemed happy with him and appeared to really like him. But the physicality between the two remained incredibly chaste with only hand holding and a few little pecks to Hinata’s cheeks. He enjoyed every one of those, of course, but Hinata couldn’t help but worry that maybe Oikawa, regardless of liking him, wasn’t really attracted to him.  
One night he lounged on his bed as he and Ono (covered in books over on his own bed) slaved away on some term papers. The thoughts of Oikawa’s lack of attraction to him swirled through his head til finally he groaned in exasperation and collapsed forward onto his laptop.  
“You alive buddy? You can do this!” Encouraged Ono who didn’t even look up from his book.   
Hinata lurched up and deleted a bunch of random letters and symbols his forehead had injected upon impact and then saved his document. He sighed and leaned back against his pillow, glancing over at Ono.  
“I’m alive...just...ugh just frustrated. I can’t concentrate at all.”  
“Why not?”  
“I can’t stop thinking about Oikawa-san…”  
Ono snorted, but then frowned as he finally set his book down and looked over at Hinata. “Well, I’d say that’s normal, but you make that sound like it’s a bad thing. You guys having problems already?”  
Hinata’s eyes widened and shook his head vigorously. “Oh no! We’re not having problems! Not exactly anyways...it’s nothing…”  
Ono sighed and shoved the rest of the books off his lap and slid his body so he was facing Hinata, his attention fully on him. “Ok, spill it. Keeping it locked up inside isn't gonna help anyone. That’s when you start over analyzing and freaking out over nothing.”  
Hinata cocked his head, “It is?”  
Ono nodded, “Every time….in my experience anyways.” He smiled sheepishly. “Anyways, go ahead.”  
Hinata took a deep breath. “Ok, so things are going great with Oikawa-san. We’re having fun, we’ve been on like three dates. But, he’s only held my hand and the only time he kisses me are these little pecks on my cheek. Nothing on the lips.”  
Ono nodded as his eyes narrowed in thought, his finger tapping his chin. “Hmmm, yes, I can see how that would be frustrating. All these dates were in public, right?” Hinata nodded. “Well, how I see it there are a couple different reasons he may be holding back...or it could be both the reasons combined. First, because you were in public he might be trying to keep the PDA down...it’s understandable. Second, he may be waiting for a signal from you that it’s ok to go further.”  
“Huh? What kind of a signal? Why would he need that?”  
Ono shook his head with a grin. “So, Hinata, you’re pretty young (‘Older than you,’ Hinata interjected dryly.), and with your short height and sweet, innocent personality it makes you seem even younger. He most likely doesn’t want to mess anything up with you and is waiting for you to….I don’t know, signal him somehow, give him the green light.”  
Hinata frowned as he stared at the floor between their beds. After a moment of contemplation he looked back up at Ono. “So, how do I do that?”  
Ono shrugged, “It’s really up to you, maybe if you’re facing each other and you feel like you’re having a moment, grip his shirt and tug him down gently. Make sure your face is all cutesy like ‘Oh Oikawa-san! Aren’t I so cute and kissable?’” Ono’s voice had taken on a higher sing-song pitch and he released a series of sloppy kissy noises after it. He finally stopped after receiving a pillow into his face.  
“Stop, stop, I get the picture!” Hinata yelled through his laughter.   
Ono removed the pillow from his face with some chuckles of his own, and tossed it back onto Hinata’s bed. “I believe in you Pumpkin. Go knock him dead.” He shoved his body back up on his pillow and yanked his books back onto his lap. Hinata mirrored his actions on his own bed with his laptop and papers, feeling a little bit better and determined to signal the shit out of Oikawa on their next date.

To Hinata’s disappointment, he and Oikawa decided that their next date would have to be postponed until after their upcoming game that weekend due to homework and their more intense trainings. The one good result of the situation was that despite not being able to go on their date, he and Oikawa would get to spend a lot of time together that week.   
Their Thursday evening practice ended early with the Coach informing them that some of their grades were slipping again and that they should cool down, clean up, and get back to their dorm rooms to study. Without another word the Coach waved a goodbye and hurried off through the gym doors. Many of Hinata’s teammates looked just as confused as he did, but a couple, particularly Kuroo and Oikawa, chuckled maniacally.  
“Five bucks says he’s gotta date,” Kuroo offered.  
“No bet,” replied Oikawa, “I literally saw his blushing face chatting up my Anatomy professor just yesterday. It’s totally a date. You know I actually saw him giggle?”  
They all laughed, most of them wishing they could have seen their gruff, middle aged coach giggling at a pretty professor. They all followed his parting directions and finished up with a cool down and stretches. They did not clean up, however, since Oikawa said he wanted to train a bit longer. A couple of his teammates clapped him on the shoulder telling him to take it easy as they all headed to the locker room. Hinata approached Oikawa shyly, his hands absentmindedly playing with a multicolored volleyball.  
“Oikawa-san? Can I practice longer with you, too?”  
Oikawa turned and looked down into Hinata’s giant honey brown eyes and felt his entire body melt. He smiled warmly and reached out to ruffle Hinata’s slightly sweaty hair. “Of course, Hina-chan! It’s tough to practice on my own anyways.” Hinata cheered as he took his place by the net. They ran through a series of different attacks, some quicks like he used to do with Kageyama, and some attacks where Hinata perfected his decoy act by purposely acting like he was gonna slam the ball to the other side when it was landing further down the net. There was even a couple new attacks they had put together that no one knew about, not even their own team, determined to surprise everyone at just the right moment.   
Working constantly with Oikawa for the past few months had blossomed a whole other bond between the two, separate from their romantic relationship. It was something that Hinata had worried he would never have again after being separated from Kageyama, a complete feeling of trust and fluidity that was shared only between a setter and his spiker when they formed a perfect partnership.  
They took a quick break to rehydrate themselves and rest against the cool brick of the gym wall. Despite their recent loss, Oikawa was in good spirits. He was confident for their game on Saturday, and secretly hoped that the coach would finally allow Hinata into a game. He had grabbed Coach on a couple different occasions to consult with him about it, letting him know about the extra practice they were doing together (with assurances that they weren’t going overboard) and asked him to give Hinata a chance. Coach didn’t say he would definitely let Hinata in the game, but he would at least think about it.   
Oikawa released his water bottle with a pop and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He turned his head to glance at Hinata, who was completely slumped against the wall as he guzzled down his water. His body looked a bit tired, but his face was intense as his eyes stayed glued to the net, eager to get back to training. In past relationships, it had always been a frustrating point of contention that he would spend too much time training and worrying about volleyball and not enough time on his partner. It was such a relief to Oikawa that Hinata was just as obsessed as he was.   
“What do you think about taking a break from our attacks, Hina-chan?”  
Hinata released the bottle from his mouth and cocked his head as he turned to Oikawa. “Then what will we work on?”  
“We haven’t worked on your jump serves lately.”  
Hinata’s face fell a bit and he glanced back toward the court. “Well, I’ve never really been good at them…” Hinata mumbled sourly.  
“What? What’s with this depressing moodiness, Hina-chan?! Where’s that ‘I can do whatever I want through my addicting positivity’ and ‘I’ll never give up’ attitude?” He began tickling Hinata’s sides as he scolded him, causing the frown to disappear into an eruption of giggles.  
“Ahhh, stop I can’t breathe! Ok, ok, we’ll work on my jump serves.”  
“Hooray!!” Oikawa cheered as he dropped his bottle to the ground and skipped back to the court. He grabbed the ball cart and wheeled it to the back line as Hinata joined him.   
“Ok, remember the different steps I taught you?” Oikawa asked with an excited grin.  
Hinata gave him a serious nod and scooped a volleyball out of the cart. He threw the ball into the air and ran after it, slamming it against his hand and sending it right underneath the net. He winced at the embarrassing trajectory as he turned slowly back to Oikawa, who did not look surprised at all.   
Oikawa chuckled as he grabbed another ball and held it out. “This time, Hina-chan, don’t rush into it so quickly. Remember you’ve got a full 8 seconds to hit the ball, and that’s after the whistle blows. So take a deep breath and focus only in the moment. You need a good toss up and then a well timed approach. This isn’t one of your impressive spikes where you try to move so quickly no one can catch up to you. This moment is just about you and the ball, so it’s in your time. Try again and we’ll go from there.”  
They went through several rounds, every time Hinata slightly improving and Oikawa giving him encouraging praise, adding one slight suggestion to smooth out the edges. Eventually Hinata was able to properly connect with the ball, send it over the net instead of into or under it, and then have it end up inside the opposite court instead of out of bounds. With each little success his confidence grew, and Oikawa offered less advise as he witnessed Hinata making little adjustments all on his own. After one successful hit that actually landed in a well placed spot that would be difficult to hit, Oikawa gave him a little hug from behind and kissed his cheek.  
“That was great, Hina-chan,” he cooed, grinning as he saw a rush of pink spread across Hinata’s cheeks.  
“Th-th-thanks, Oikawa-san,” Hinata answered quietly.   
Oikawa released him with one more squeeze of his narrow but muscular shoulders. “Now do it again!” He cheered happily and stepped back to give him space.   
Hinata took a moment with a volleyball in his hand, breathing deeply as his eyes took in every indent of the design. He bounced it several times with intensity, and as it settled back into his hands, he shut his eyes calmly. One more breath and they shot back open. He gave the ball a toss and it soared into the air as he stepped forward, his eyes never leaving the ball. His arms flew back and with another step brought them up to give him extra force as he leapt into the air. His right arm whipped forward and slammed into the ball, which shot like a cannon straight into the floor of the other side of the court. It ricocheted back up into the air before Hinata had barely landed back on his feet. He stood there with his eyes wide, his mouth hanging open as he soaked in what happened. Oikawa lunged in front of him and swept him up into a bone crushing hug, the world spinning wildly as Oikawa twirled him around with his legs flying.  
“YESSSSSSSS!” Oikawa yelled, laughing. “You did it! You did it! That was amazing!!”  
Hinata finally snapped out of his shock and began to laugh, roping his arms around Oikawa’s shoulders and wrapping his legs around his waist to keep hold of the spinning setter.   
“I-I can’t believe it. It was like SHWOOM through the air and then WHAM on the floor! Whoooooo!”  
They both laughed as the twirling began to slow. Hinata relaxed his hold on Oikawa’s shoulder as he leaned back to say something else. He froze however when he was overwhelmed at the sight of Oikawa’s beaming face so close to his own. A churning feeling boiled in his lower abdomen as he also realized that he was completely in Oikawa’s arms, his body held tightly against him.   
Oikawa had stopped moving and gazed back into Hinata’s flushed face. His heart began to pound when he realized Hinata’s legs were tightly wrapped around his waist. His dark chocolate eyes soaked in every detail of Hinata’s face until they settled on his perfect pink lips. He watched as Hinata licked them nervously, and it was like a bolt of electricity careened through his body. Without another thought he moved his face forward and pressed his lips against Hinata’s. It was warm and tender, and immediately he felt Hinata’s arms tighten around his neck, deepening the kiss and sending shivers down his spine. Oikawa opened his lips wider as he let his tongue slip through to tickle Hinata’s lips. Hinata giggled and opened his mouth wider to allow the tongue entrance. Oikawa sighed happily as the kissing grew more intense, and his whole body was bathed in warmth when he felt one of Hinata’s hands slide through his damp hair toward the back of his head, gripping it tightly in his fervor.   
Hinata felt like his body was on fire, and despite being completely wrapped up in Oikawa, he felt like he wanted even more contact. As if he could read his mind, he felt one of Oikawa’s arms tighten slightly around his upper back, and then felt the other one slowly rub downward. The skin on his back erupted in goosebumps at the feeling and most of the heat from his body converged down into his lower abdomen.   
Their mouths danced against each other for a few more glorious minutes until Hinata began to feel Oikawa’s arms tremble. He realized that all of his weight was probably taking a toll, so he relaxed his legs and began to slide down Oikawa’s body, neither of them breaking the flow of the kisses. Once his feet were on the ground, Oikawa slid his hands up Hinata’s back and his neck until they were softly cupping Hinata’s cheeks. He eased his face back and peppered Hinata’s face with a few more light kisses, gliding gently over his eyelids and pecking his cutely scrunched up nose. Finally he stood up a bit straighter to catch his breath as he smiled widely down at Hinata.   
Hinata gazed back at Oikawa, breathing deeply as he grinned at the taller man.  
“That...was even better than my awesome jump serve.”  
Oikawa threw his head back as he laughed, keeping his hands nestled on Hinata’s bright cheeks. He felt like his face was gonna fall off from smiling so much as he calmed down and looked back at Hinata.   
“Considering how amazing that jump serve was, that’s really saying something, Hina-chan.” He tipped his head down til his forehead rested on Hinata’s and closed his eyes with a sigh. “I agree...that was some pretty damn good kissing.” He sucked in a quick breath when Hinata’s face shifted and felt tender lips press gently against his own. He moaned softly as he reciprocated the kiss.  
They continued that for quite a while until there was a little chirp from Oikawa’s phone that was nestled into the pocket of his shorts. He pouted as he snuck it out and glanced at the message. It was a reminder from Kuroo to “Get the hell out of the gym and rest”. He sighed and showed the message to Hinata.  
“Well, I guess he’s right. We totally kicked ass today, so we should relax the rest of the day.” He softly pinched Hinata’s cute cheek and together they collected the scattered volleyballs and cleaned up the gym. Afterwards they chatted happily as they went back to the dorm, their hands entwined between them.   
When they reached Hinata’s door, they both frowned at the herd of students loitering in the hallway and shuffling back and forth. Without any privacy, they both knew it would be impossible to give the goodbye they wish they could. Instead Oikawa bent down and gave Hinata a warm hug.   
“We’ll continue next time, Hina-chan,” he purred into his ear. Hinata blushed once again and smiled at Oikawa with a nod.   
“I look forward to it, Oikawa-san.” He turned and began to unlock his door as Oikawa hopped down the hallway toward the stairwell. Hinata saw him freeze in his peripheral vision and stopped his fiddling with the door. He glanced up to see Oikawa whirl around and sneak back quickly toward him. He leaned against the wall by the door and hovered very close to Hinata, his face set with a serious urgency.  
“Hina-chan?” He began, and then bit his lip as he contemplated something.  
“What is it?” Hinata urged softly.  
Oikawa released his lip from his teeth and smiled softly. “Dating you so far has been really fun, but I feel like it’s just not enough.”  
Hinata raised his eyebrows, a little seed of nervousness swirling in his stomach, “It’s not?”  
Oikawa shook his head. “Nope. I was wondering if….if you’d like to officially be my boyfriend?”  
Hinata’s face lit up like the sun lifting itself above the horizon. He squealed and threw his arms around Oikawa, who returned the hug with a chuckle.   
Ono opened the door and poked his head out with a confused look on is face. When he saw Hinata wrapped around Oikawa, whose face was turning beet red, he simply rolled his eyes and went back inside, shutting the door behind him. Hinata finally released him and told him he’d love to. After another shy and giddy series of goodbyes, Oikawa finally turned to walked toward the stairwell. Hinata watched him go for a moment, and then burst through the door with excitement. Before the door had closed shut behind him he began to cheerfully regale the whole experience of that afternoon to an amused Ono.

The gym hummed with excitement as both teams warmed up. The team they were facing off against was the Univeristy of Tsukuba, a formidable opponent. But the Tokai team was in good spirits as they stretched and performed their pregame drills. As soon as they began the first set they were able to score several points in succession due to Oikawa’s famous jump serve. Eventually the other team’s Libero was able to catch it, and though it was messy Tsukuba was finally able to score a point. It was nearing the end of the first set and Tokai was still a comfortable four points ahead. After they scored the fourth point and the ball came back to their side, the whistle blew to switch out a player. The team turned in confusion to see Ono standing there, ready to come in as the pinch server. The second year that was switching places with him clapped him on the back, and the rest of the team (especially Hinata and the other first years) called out encouragements as he took his place at the line. Ono caught the ball and twirled it in his hand and dribbled it a couple times, his face serious but calm. The whistle blew and his eyes snapped up. He tossed the ball high into the air, lunged forward and threw himself into the air. His hand whipped into the ball and sent it flying straight onto the other team’s court right between two players, their hair and jerseys waving from the air current of the ball. Hinata and his teammates roared with cheers, and Ono gave them a pleased grin, but didn’t overdo it knowing the ball was coming right back for him to do it again. He successfully sent over two more aces untouched by the other team. His fourth serve the other team caught it, but when their spiker went to slam it over, Otsuka and their fourth year middle blocker Saito were able to knock it down onto the other side, winning them that set.   
The next set started quickly and ferociously, Tsukuba determined not to repeat the first set. Both teams remained pretty even for the most of it until Saito, Tokai’s fourth year middle blocker, went to block an intense spike. The ball ended up smacking his hand at a strange angle, cracking the bones in his hand under the force. He crumbled down as he clutched his hand, crying out in pain. The Coach and manager rushed onto the court to keep him calm and inspect the injury. They assessed he immediately needed to be pulled off the court, and once he was assisted off Coach sent him straight to the infirmary with the manager and one of the medics that had just rushed forward. The Coach watched them go for a few seconds, his eyebrows furrowed as he thought. He heard the referee call for his attention, and he turned his head and nodded. He walked briskly over to the bench and waved for Hinata, who scrambled off and hurried forward.   
The Coach put a hand on his shoulder and murmured to him in a low voice. “Alright kid, I’m gonna send you in, ok?” Hinata nodded in response. “I’m not just sending you in because we need a middle blocker as a replacement. You’re a solid player, but what I really need is your energy. They just shook us up and we can’t let it get to us, we gotta win this, for Saito. Ready to pump up the team?”  
Hinata gave Coach a big smile, “I can do it!”  
The Coach ruffled his hair and gestured to the court. Hinata was truthfully still shaken along with the rest of his team, but as he hopped onto the court he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked up at his teammates and gave them a big toothy grin. He clapped Otsuka on the back and yelled, “It’s okay! I’m here now, let’s do this!!” Otsuka and the rest of the team chuckled as some of the tension dissipated, a few reaching over to ruffle his hair (Hinata was beginning to suspect his orange hair was their good luck charm). Kuroo squeezed his shoulders as he walked by. He wandered to his place in the center of the court, and he saw Oikawa watching in the position right next to him. The confident smile he gave Hinata was like being submerged in a warm bath after being out in the rain on a chilly day.   
“Let’s show ‘em what you can do, Hina-chan.” Oikawa chirped and sent Hinata a wink. Hinata blushed and smiled back with an energetic nod.  
He lifted his eyes to the other side and saw the mountainous upperclassmen of Tsukuba leering down at him. It was as if their haughty eyes could send waves of oppression flowing over him. Hinata straightened up as tall as he could and cocked his head at them. These giant rivals were not the first mountains he has ever had to face, he’s fought taller. He had rallied against far more frightening opponents as well. A smile began to grow on his face that caused the opposite team to falter a bit in their glares. Hinata beamed at them and shouted out, “Let’s have a good game!”  
The whistle blew and the other team served the ball. Vice Captain and Libero Yamashita received it easily and sent it straight to Oikawa. Oikawa’s eyes flickered to Hinata and cocked an eyebrow, and in a flash his eyes were back on the ball floating down toward his hands. Hinata flew to the far side of the net and leapt into the air, soaring high above the net. The other team was so distracted by the movement and scrambled to catch up that Oikawa simply dumped it over the side of the net easily. It was over so quickly the other team stood frozen with their jaws hanging open. The men of Tokai cheered and called out to Hinata and Oikawa.   
It was their ball again and Oikawa’s turn to serve. He ended up serving a few balls in a row that couldn’t be touched, piling the points on top of each other. Finally the other team was able to pick it up and the setter tossed it to the spiker right in front of Hinata. Hinata focused his eyes on the movement, looking for little tells like Kuroo has been teaching him all year. He read them like lightning and leapt into the air. The spiker’s eyes widened at the sight of Hinata so high off the ground, but at that point couldn’t change any of his movement as he whipped his hand into the ball which crashed into Hinata’s, forcing the ball back down onto the spiker’s side. The team’s Libero, however, dove just in time and popped it back up for the setter to retry. This time the setter sent it to the other side of the court where a spiker popped up. This time Kuroo was there waiting and a blur of orange popping up right next to him, narrowing the field. They easily slammed the ball down and gave each other a high five right in front of the stunned spiker. His head swiveled back and forth from where Hinata was last spotted on the complete other side of the court to where he was standing now, just a second or two later.   
The confusion created by Hinata’s decoy plays was enough to completely take the set by storm. The team erupted in cheers as Otsuka was able to spike the last point needed to win the game. The team captain swept Hinata up into a bear hug which ended up in a complete dog pile as the rest of the team rushed in, surrounding Hinata in gross sweaty heat and a lot of love. He felt a particular set of arms shove some of his teammates away and snake around his waist.  
“Mmmmm, that was great, Hina-chan,” Oikawa cooed in his ear. Hinata smiled and nuzzled his face into Oikawa’s.   
“You were great too, Oikawa-san.”  
“And Kuroo-san, you were the best! We couldn’t have done it without you!” Said an unnaturally high pitched voice next to them. They turned to see Kuroo grinning from ear to ear.   
Hinata giggled, “Kuroo-san! I totally did that read blocking thing you’ve been teaching me, it worked!”  
Kuroo laughed, “Of course it worked, you knucklehead.” He reached out and ruffled his hair. “You’re the best protoge ever!”  
Hinata gasped, “Better than Tsukki?!”  
Kuroo glanced around to make sure the salty blonde was nowhere around (considering he was in his own game on the other side of Tokyo). “Of course!”  
“Line up!” Called Coach and they all broke off and scrambled to the net. Across from Hinata stood one of the spikers he had blocked. A huge looming figure of at least 195 cm, and a sturdy frame to go with it, looked down at Hinata like he was confused, trying to figure the tiny middle blocker out. Hinata reached under the net to grasp the gigantic hand of the other man.  
“Good game!” Hinata offered with a polite smile.  
The other man nodded. “Good game. It was…..unexpected.”  
Hinata simply nodded, “I get that a lot.” And with a wink at the bewildered giant he skipped off to join his teammates, throwing his arms around Oikawa’s shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I finally have a final cap on how many chapters this will be...well, tentatively. I won’t really know til it’s completely written! Next chapter will be the long awaited show down!!! The chapter after that will probably be an epilogue, so it’ll most likely be very short.  
> Also, I have added a one shot to this series called “It was worth the wait” that features Kuroo and Daichi after the events of the last chapter.  
> I’m also working on another one with another couple entirely, he he he he....


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was by far the hardest chapter I’ve ever had to write. The fluff came naturally as usual, but the game play was really rough. I hope it’s okay, so if you enjoyed it let me know!!  
> Here’s a bit of refresher for you regarding Hinata’s team:  
> -They are from Tokai University  
> -Otsuka is the 4th year Wing Spiker and Captain  
> -Yamashita is 4th year Libero and Vice Captain  
> -Noguchi (new character) is a 2nd year Wing Spiker  
> -Ono (hopefully you remember him) is Hinata’s roommate, 1st year Wing Spiker And Pinch Server

A few days after their win against Tsukuba, Hinata and Oikawa finally had time for their date. Instead of going out, they decided to snuggle up close on Oikawa’s sofa and watch a movie. Oikawa was sitting with his long legs stretched out across the other cushions, and Hinata was nestled in his arms with his back against his chest. His legs only reached to about Oikawa’s shins, which made him smile and bury his nose into Hinata’s soft (and attractively styled) hair. Hinata giggled and squirmed a bit in his arms, inciting the long arms wrapped around him to hug a little tighter. Soon the movie was forgotten in the midst of a wrestling war as Oikawa attempted to reign in a wiggling Hinata while trying to tickle his sides. He didn’t quite succeed until he spotted Hinata’s exposed neck as he tried to curl his body away from Oikawa. The slender body froze when he pressed his lips to the side of his throat, goosebumps flickering across his pale skin. He began to pepper them all the way up until he reached the delicate ear surrounded by a close crop of bright hair. He nuzzled his nose along it and grazed his teeth along the lobe. Hinata shivered underneath him, but instead of squirming away, he pressed his body back against Oikawa. With a grin, Oikawa licked up the ear, a light squeal erupting from under him. As he continued giving gentle kisses along Hinata’s cheek, he felt Hinata’s face turn toward him. He reached with his right arm to grip Hinata’s left shoulder and gently pulled, helping him shift in his lap until they were facing each other, Hinata safe in his arms and smiling shyly. Oikawa tightened his grip to bring him closer and met the soft lips with his own. Hinata’s hands reached up and threaded his hands through the brunette waves, and with his other hand gripped onto his shirt, tugging on it to deepen the kiss slightly. They stayed like that for a while, their lips and their bodies melding together like they were just one person. Eventually an urge was boiling under Oikawa’s skin, and he opened his mouth a bit wider, slipping his tongue through when Hinata mirrored the action. He heard a light moan reverberate through Hinata’s mouth, and he was overwhelmed with a desire to hear more. His hand snuck under the back of Hinata’s shirt and rubbed the toned muscles his boyfriend had been working so hard on. Apparently Hinata liked that as well, because his arms reached up and curled around Oikawa’s neck, one leg beginning to shift higher up against his own. Oikawa’s hand moved down his back and gripped around his thigh, helping the leg up even higher until it was nearly around his waist. His other hand then snuck under Hinata’s shirt and he shifted his body until he was nearly on top of Oikawa. Hinata’s lips left Oikawa’s as he sat up so he was straddling him on his lap, his face turning bright red.   
“You alright, Hina-chan?”  
He nodded in response and bit his lip. Oikawa cocked his head but remained silent, enjoying Hinata’s flustered state as he mentally worked out whatever he was dwelling on. Finally Hinata’s eyes met his and two small hands gripped onto his shirt and yanked him up. As soon as he was sitting upright Hinata threw his arms back around his neck and kissed him deeply. The initiative he took sent Oikawa’s libido racing so fast he almost lost control. He really liked Hinata, and he didn’t want to do anything he wasn’t ready for. Their relationship was going very well, and he felt no need to rush. He was thoroughly enjoying every moment he had with his ball of bright fluffy sunshine.   
Hinata’s tongue entered his mouth again, and suddenly Oikawa’s vision of his fluffy sunshine turned a few shades more seductive. He smirked against Hinata’s lips and slid his hands down to give his butt a good squeeze. Hinata’s body jumped as he squealed.   
“Oikawa-san!”  
“What...too soon?”  
Hinata pursed his lips, his cheeks still bright red. “Noooo, it’s not too soon. I guess I wasn’t expecting it.”  
“Oh, well I won’t do it if it bothers you,” Oikawa assured him, though with a little pout.  
Hinata’s smile creeped back in. “No, it’s okay! Y-You can still do it, now that I know you’re going to there’s less surprise.”  
“Yeah?”  
Hinata nodded shyly and shut his eyes tight, like he was prepared for Oikawa to grab his butt at that very moment. Oikawa chuckled and brought his hand up to cup Hinata’s face. He leaned forward and kissed him gently. Hinata relaxed into the kiss, sighing as he pressed his body against Oikawa’s. Once they found their rhythm again Oikawa did let his other hand slide down rub across Hinata’s butt gently. This time Hinata didn’t even break away from the kiss, but instead shivered from the contact and gave a little moan. His little noises of enjoyment were almost too much for Oikawa, and he contemplated making some sort of excuse to Hinata before his pants got too tight.   
Both their phones chimed at almost the same time. They both broke away from the kiss with looks of confusion. With a mutual nod they both reached for the coffee table and grabbed their phones, looking at their message with Hinata still perched on Oikawa’s lap.   
Oikawa clicked his tongue, “It’s Kuroo-chan, ‘Hand Check’ is all mine says.”  
Hinata giggled, “Mine says the same.”   
“You know, since he and Sawamura-kun have been official he’s taken on a much more fatherly role than he used to.”  
“Ha, definitely...he seems really happy,” Hinata gushed with a smile. He enjoys his friends’ happiness almost as much as his own.  
“Everybody seems to be getting together lately, maybe there’s something in the water.”  
Hinata perked up, “Who do you think is next? Kenma?!”  
Oikawa snorted, “I’m pretty sure Ken-chan’s been in a long term relationship with his games. I can’t imagine anyone breaking them up.”  
Hinata giggled, “Yeah, you may be right about that.” Just then loud growl came from Hinata’s stomach. He winced in embarrassment, but Oikawa fell back onto the sofa laughing.  
“Hina-chan! Why didn’t you tell me you were hungry?”  
“Well, I guess cuz I was enjoying what we were doing. Sorry.”  
“Why are you sorry? I should be sorry, I planned snacks for our movie and everything! But you came in all cute in your stylish clothes and hair and I had to get my hands all over you. Here, slip off and I’ll go grab them.” Hinata hopped off, his face blushing from the compliment. Some of their teammates liked to joke that Oikawa liked to be spoiled, but so far Hinata felt like he was the one being spoiled.   
Hinata breathed deep as the smell of warm popcorn wafted through the air, and a moment later Oikawa returned to the sofa with a huge bowl and another plate with two sandwiches on it.  
“I had enough fixings for a couple sandwiches, since I figured you were too hungry for just popcorn.”  
“Thank you, it looks delicious!” They both tore into the food (Oikawa immediately realized that he had worked up an appetite as well), and backtracked the movie since they had missed so much. Once they had finished eating, they simply sat next to each other facing the TV, their hands entwined in between them. Hinata stole a glance up at Oikawa and did a double take. He giggled as he released Oikawa’s hand and reached up into his hair.  
“How did you get popcorn in your hair? We didn’t even have a food fight with them!”  
Oikawa snorted, “My thick hair might be gorgeous, but despite that, or possibly because of that, it attracts all sorts of things!”  
Hinata rolled his eyes, but continued stroking through Oikawa’s soft hair. He noticed his gentle brown eyes began to droop a little bit as he did, and soon Oikawa began to slide down until his head was in Hinata’s lap. He smiled as he leaned his head back to watch the movie. He could get used to spoiling Oikawa back.

It was just two days away from their game against Jutendo, Ushijima and Kageyama’s university. The entire team was laser focused, determined to make it through the game with a win. There was an edge to their hope, however. They knew that this game in particular would be harder than any they had fought so far that season. The big question was who was going to be playing in the game. During their strategy meeting held after practice, most of the team expressed that they wanted to keep Hinata in for most of the game since it worked out so well, plus he had experience playing against Ushijima and knew everything about Kageyama. The problem was that both of _them_ had played against Hinata before, and Kageyama knew almost everything about Hinata as well. Oikawa spoke up to remind them of all the skills Hinata had developed since joining their team, not to mention he had been working with him privately on some special attacks. The whole team chuckled, and Oikawa’s mouth twisted in annoyance as he heard a few jokes muttered like “That wasn’t the only thing he was working on” and “Special attacks...is that what they’re calling it these days?”. Coach finally quieted them down and suggested they keep Hinata on the bench for the first set at least, just to gauge the situation. And then they’ll send him in if they feel like they need the edge. He asked Otsuka if that was good with him, which he agreed to.   
After they ended the meeting, Oikawa and Hinata walked back to their dorm together. There was something different in the air between them, and it made Hinata feel a bit queasy. He glanced up to see Oikawa’s face marred by a dark scowl. He could almost see the air around him darkening, reflecting his moodiness.   
“Um...Oikawa-San?” Hinata asked timidly, reaching over to gently hold onto his boyfriend’s arm.  
Oikawa blinked in surprise and turned to Hinata, the frown easing off of his face. “What is it, Hina-chan?”  
“Are you okay? You seem upset.”  
He opened his mouth slightly, and then shut it. He thought for a moment before he gave Hinata a small smile. “I’m okay, I’m not upset exactly. It’s more like I’m mad they won’t just let you play. You did so good during the last game and you’ll do even better if he just gave you a chance. And this game is the big one! I….I’m worried that with Ushijima and Kageyama teamed up they’re going to completely obliterate my confidence...my pride. But with you by my side, I’m not saying we’ll definitely win, but I at least feel stronger, more myself. Do you know what I’m saying?”  
Hinata nodded, his cheeks growing hot. He never expected someone as strong and skilled as Oikawa would actually rely on him in this way. He also had no idea what to say to give him comfort. It was obvious that they might lose even if they let him play. Hinata doesn’t usually let these thoughts get him down. He fights on and on til they have a chance, and never dwells on any self deprecation. But should he build Oikawa up the same way? To build up his hope so much only for them to be defeated may leave a permanent scar, and the thought tore him apart.   
Hinata glanced back up Oikawa to see him still brooding. Without thinking he reached his arm out and slipped it around Oikawa’s lower back and leaned his head against his arm. The contact surprised Oikawa, but all the tension in his body slipped away, and he happily swung the arm that Hinata was leaning on around the smaller man’s shoulders and squeezed. They chuckled but said nothing as they attempted to walk the rest of the way to the dorm attached to one another. Hinata felt a little peace settle over his nerves. Perhaps this was all he needed to do. Remind Oikawa that he’s here, he’ll listen, and ready to snuggle to their hearts’ content.

The day of the game finally came, and the tension felt like a static crackling in the air as they all changed in the locker room. They filtered into the gym and began their warm ups, Hinata trying to focus on stretches instead of the sickness growing in his stomach. He hated getting so nervous for big games, but it made it worse that his teammates were feeling it too.  
“Holy Shit...is that him? That’s Ushijima?” Said Ono next to him, the worry laced into his voice.  
Hinata turned around to gaze on the other side of the net. Ushijima wasn’t even into his final year, but already all of his teammates seemed to defer to him. He stood out amongst them, doing his stretches with his stone face as stoic as ever. “Yeah, that’s him,” Hinata replied with a shrug. His big words he shot at Ushijima in the cafe were spiraling inside his head. He would do anything to prove those words right.  
“Is that your friend, Kageyama, next to him?”  
Hinata stiffened and turned around again. Sure enough Kageyama had joined Ushijima and was stretching next to him. They were also glancing across the net at Hinata’s team, talking in low voices. Hinata sighed, “Yeah, that’s Kageyama.”  
“Are things better between you two?”  
“Yeah, I mean I haven’t seen him since my first date with Oikawa, but we’ve at least texted back and forth a couple times. It’s hard keeping a friendship going when you’re at rival schools.”  
Ono nodded and dropped the subject, which Hinata was grateful for. His eyes however kept wandering over to his old friend, who had started doing warm up tosses. It clenched his stomach seeing him focus on Ushijima and his other spikers, rather than on him, but he shook his head. That’s in the past, and he has Oikawa now…  
His eyes naturally sought out his boyfriend among his teammates and and spotted him immediately. Oikawa was also warming up his tosses, but there was no focus to them and not much confidence. A frown was etched across his face and his movements were stiff. It overwhelmed Hinata seeing him so hopeless from years upon years of failure and disappointment. Lurking in the back of his head was a little stray thought that Hinata himself had contributed to one of his many losses. The pressure to win this game began to spike the more his thoughts swirled around Oikawa, and an intense desire to win this game for him escalated.  
“Hey,” said a gentle voice next to him and felt a large hand clasp his shoulder. Hinata flinched in surprise and looked up to see Kuroo next to him, his face hovering above his in concern. “Are you okay, Chibi-chan?”  
“Yes, yeah, I’m fine..” he replied, his voice a little shaky, and he tried to paste a big smile on his face, but he winced when Kuroo was obviously not convinced.   
Kuroo sighed and looked over at Oikawa. “Listen, I think I know what you’re feeling. You really have been great for Oikawa, he’s been a lot happier this year, especially since he’s been dating you. But with this…” His voice trailed off and he looked back down at Hinata, placing his hand on the other shoulder and turning him so he was completely facing Kuroo. “Hinata, this whole rivalry between him and Ushiwaka, and now Kageyama too, these are his personal demons, not yours. He needs to deal with this himself, so don’t put any unnecessary pressure on yourself to win this game. You have enough to worry about going up against your friend.”  
Hinata nodded solemnly, “Yeah, this is gonna be weird.”  
Kuroo smiled, “Listen, aren’t you always talking about how competitive you two used to be?”  
Hinata huffed out a laugh, “Yeah, we competed over everything. Literally _everything_ was a competition between us. It was fun.”  
“Perfect!” Kuroo said cheerfully, and Hinata cocked his head in confusion. “This game right here, pretend it's like everything else you two were competitive over. Sure he’s got Ushijima, but you’ve got Oikawa, and Otsuka and Yamashita and Ono, and of course one of the greatest middle blockers of all time…” he chuckled while he wiped imaginary dust off his shoulder, making Hinata roll his eyes with a little smile. He thought about it for a moment, and as everything Kuroo suggested sunk in, he felt like the immense weight begin to lift.  
“Yeah….Yeah! I can do this!” He said, his smile growing as his spirit began to lift. Kuroo laughed and clapped him on the back. Hinata was about to join his other teammates in their finishing warm ups when he stopped and turned back to Kuroo. “So, is there really nothing I can do for Oikawa-san?”  
Kuroo frowned, “Well, I’ll have a little pep talk with him, but you could always say something sweet to distract him? But don’t feel offended if he doesn’t take it like he normally does. Oh! Unless it’s sexual...typically that’ll distract any guy, ya know what I mean?” He wiggled his eyebrows and laughed when Hinata looked even more nervous than before. He’d never been the best at flirting, not to mention anything sexual. “You’ll do fine! Go get ‘em, Mini Studmuffin!” With one last laugh Kuroo trotted over to give his pep talk to the Oikawa while Hinata finally finished his warm ups.   
Coach called them all over for their final talk before the game. It was much the same as their strategy meeting a couple days ago, but peppered with a few more encouraging words and reminders. Hinata glanced over at Oikawa, who seemed a bit calmed down since speaking with Kuroo, but still not as focused as usual. His whole body seemed stiff, and Hinata’s arms itched to wrap around him and force all the bad feelings out, but he knew it wouldn’t be so easy.   
With a team cheer they were dismissed, most of the team flooding onto the court. Hinata grabbed Oikawa just before he joined them.   
“Oh, Hina-chan, you doing okay?” Oikawa said, a smile on his face that didn’t quite reach his eyes.  
“Yeah, I’m fine, and you?”  
Oikawa nodded, “Of course! I’m great! I have a good feeling about this one, we’ll definitely pull through!”   
Hinata bit his lip at the obvious fake enthusiasm. “Um, did you stretch okay?”  
Oikawa snorted and leaned forward, a teasing smile on his lips, “Are you my mom, Hina-chan?”  
Hinata rolled his eyes, but then a thought occurred to him...a _dirty_ thought. He smirked and leaned up toward Oikawa’s ear and whispered, “No, but I could be your _Daddy_.” He saw a rosy tint creep up Oikawa’s cheek. He pulled back to see his face frozen in shock, his eyes wide as he processed what Hinata had just said. Suddenly Oikawa burst out laughing, gripping onto Hinata’s shoulders to keep himself from falling over. The Coach came over and shooed him onto the court. Oikawa nodded, wiping his eyes as lingering chuckles continued spilling out of his mouth.   
Coach gave Hinata a grin and patted him on the back. ”Well, that cheered him up. What did you do?”  
Hinata chuckled nervously, “Sorry Coach, you don’t really wanna know.”

It was one thing to be mentally and physically prepared to face a tough team. It was quite another to face them head on. Jutendo’s team was a roaring machine of precision and aggression. Even on the bench Hinata could sense the improved skill and ruthless focus Kageyama had developed in their time apart. Tokai was able to score occasionally, but whenever they tried to keep the momentum going Ushijima was right there like a bull, charging in and slamming the ball down with cold accuracy. Hinata scrunched his face in irritation as he saw a pleased smirk appear on Kageyama’s face, satisfied with the result of his toss. In the next play Jutendo served it over and it was received by Yamashita, who sent it directly over to Oikawa. Oikawa gave a perfect toss over to Otsuka who smacked it through the blockers, only to be received by another player from the back row. The ball sailed in the air, and several players by the net lunged over to prepare a block to Ushijima. Kageyama took the chance and dumped the ball over the net. What he hadn’t counted on was Kuroo, who dove just in time to catch it before it landed on the court floor, popping it back up into the air. Oikawa quickly slipped underneath and sent it over to Otsuka, who spiked it down with ease. Kuroo stood up and gave a big grin through the net at Kageyama.  
“Nice try, Scowly-kun!”  
Kageyama’s eyebrows furrowed darkly, his mouth twisted in irritation. It was Tokai’s serve, and Ono as a pinch server. He served one no service ace, earning them one more point. The next serve however was received by the other team’s Libero. There was a quick signal from Ushijima to Kageyama. Ushijima lunged into the air and just as the ball fell into Kageyama’s fingertips he launched it to his awaiting spiker who slammed it down, faster than lightning. Silence fell throughout the gymnasium, even within the audience. All at once there were cheers from the crowd supporting Jutendo, and Ushijima and Kageyama received pats on the back and “Nice Kill” from several of their teammates. Hinata’s blood ran cold at witnessing Kageyama’s new quick. This quick wasn’t for him, but it was combined with the intense strength of Ushijima instead. Tokai’s entire team was shaken. Ushijima’s spike’s were already nearly impossible to stop, and now it was built into a quick. Coach called out encouragements to bring their focus back to the game, but it was too late. The first set ended with almost a total annihilation by Jutendo.   
As they drank from their bottles and wiped the sweat off their faces, no one could say anything. The Coach reiterated some tips on defensive maneuvers, but no one seemed to hear it.   
Finally Noguchi, a Second year wing spiker sighed, “There’s no way, Coach. There is no way to physically beat that quick.”  
The other players nodded, even Oikawa chewed angrily at his water bottle, wishing it was Kageyama’s head.  
“Why do we have to beat it?” They all turned to face Kuroo, who was staring thoughtfully at the net. “Seriously...it’s _one_ attack move. One. This isn’t Hinata we’re talking about, who could pull those quicks off with Kageyama like every other play, if not more. This is Ushijima, who’s like an elephant. There’s no way that guy has enough stamina to pull those off more than a couple times a game. Let them score the point, do _not_ let it frazzle us, and then get the damn ball back.”  
“That’s right!” Said Oikawa, latching onto Kuroo’s words like a lifeline and wrapping his arm around Hinata’s shoulder. “No one’s got better stamina than my Hina-chan!”   
“Eeeeeewwwww...”  
“Gross.”  
“Keep your private life off the court Oikawa!”  
With a bunch of laughs they reconvened, more lively than before and skipped back onto the court. The other team glared at them, confused by the positivity and obviously wishing they had totally broken Tokai’s spirit. Oikawa was walking to his spot when he locked eyes with Kageyama and stopped to give him an obnoxious smile.  
“Well done last set, Tobio! That dump was _really_ smooth...pity Kuroo-chan read you like a book!” Kageyama opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Oikawa gave him a wink, stuck his tongue out, and skipped all the way to his spot on the back line.   
Tokai was up to serve first, and Oikawa was their first server. With his powerful jump serve he scored several points right off, giving them a good head start. Finally Jutendo’s Libero is able to pick it up. For most of the second set both teams seemed evenly matched, Jutendo catching up quickly with determination. They were nearly even when the whistle blew for a player substitution. They all turned to see Hinata standing next to the coach, vibrating with excitement. He strode onto the court, pausing every couple feet so each his teammates could swipe a hand through his bright orange hair.   
For a while the game continued as it had been, Hinata easily fitting into the flow of the team. Hinata didn’t do any flashy moves or unnecessary movements, allowing his upperclassmen to call for the ball. He took his time getting a good read on his opponents, biding his time before he could strike. It was working out to their benefit as well, because the more quiet and calm Hinata was, the more unnerved Kageyama was getting. His eyes began to ping to the flash of orange more often than his own teammates, and his tosses began to lose their precision, slightly.   
At last Hinata felt steady, and he shared a quick look with Oikawa. The ball was being served by Jutendo, and Yamashita received it, sending a perfect arc trajectory to Oikawa’s waiting fingers. Hinata flew up to the net and leapt into the air, his hand ready. A shadow seemed to pass over him as soared, and he seemed to be dwarfed by Ushijima, Kageyama, and another player. It was like a blanket had been thrown over his head, blocking every path he could send the ball. His eyes flicked to Oikawa who smirked, shooting the ball to him with confidence. As soon as the ball is in the path of his hand Hinata snaps his arm into it, aiming a cross right underneath Ushijima’s armpit, bouncing off the floor of the court. Tokai cheered, one of the fourth years grabbed Hinata under his arms and launched him in the air, and he came back to Earth in a fit of giggles. Ushijima simply stared at the point of the court where the ball had landed, his lip almost in a pout as he frowned. Kageyama glared at him, even as Hinata gave him a smile.  
“What kind of move was that, Dumbass?” He said.  
“A _good_ move, GrumpyYama-kun!”  
“It was stupid.”  
“You’re just jealous, you better get used to it!”   
He felt a little jab from one of his teammates, and he realized they needed to continue the game. Ono was sent in as their pinch server, who on his first try sent it straight to Kageyama. Having no choice but to receive it, their Libero stepped in as setter, messily sending to a spiker whose attempt is immediately shot down by Kuroo’s block. Ono wins them several points in a row with an array of no touch aces and a couple sent past Ushijima, who rarely receives himself. The last time he sent it to Ushijima however, the Libero was ready and intercepted it. They successfully spiked over the net, but Kuroo received it and sent it back to Oikawa. Hinata streaks to the net and flies into the air. Kageyama yelled that he’s just a decoy, his eyes on Otsuka who stepped up to the net as well. The players on the net were split to block the two waiting spikers when Oikawa simply dumped it over the net, winning them the set.  
“That’s how you do a dump, Tobio-kun!”  
Otsuka shoved Oikawa from behind. “You’d know, Oikawa, being so full of shit.”  
Oikawa gasped dramatically, “Captain-san, so rude!”  
The third set began harshly with Ushijima’s serve, who won them several consecutive points. With his aggressive momentum Tokai fought back hard, and finally Noguchi was able sneak a spike past the blockers, granting them a reprieve from Ushijima’s deadly serve. Even with the break they are unable to catch up completely, Jutendo staying ahead several points. Sweat poured down Oikawa’s face as he orchestrated his next move, his mind working like a computer as he gaged the location of each teammate. Otsuka and their second year middle blocker both called for the ball, each on the opposite side of the net. The ball Yamashita received was curling through the air toward him when he heard a small voice behind him.   
“Oikawa-san.”  
The frown lines across his forehead faded, and with a grin he tucked the ball into his fingers and lifted it straight up into the air and slightly behind him. He swerved out of the way as Hinata soared into the air behind him and whipped his hand into the ball. It sailed over the net and past the blockers that had scrambled to block the other spikers, landing with a bang onto the court. The cheers from the audience and Tokai’s team were deafening. They were still behind, but the amazing new attack was enough to rejuvenate their spirit.   
After a successful series of serves by Otsuka, Tokai finally caught up, drawing both teams even. Back and forth they fought, each team landing spikes and doing their share of blocking them down. Exhaustion was beginning to set in when it was Tokai’s turn to serve again, drawing even once again and needing two points to win the game. Hinata turned as they rotated, but saw behind him was the serving line. He looked over at Coach, confused because he did not hear the whistle for player substitution. Coach simply smiled and shook his head. Hinata’s eyes grew wide as he realized that he was their next server. He wiped his sweaty hands onto his shorts as Oikawa rushed beside him and leaned toward his ear.  
“In _your_ time, Hina-chan. Slow it down. I know you can do this...and afterwards we can make out again, just like last time.”  
Hinata laughed and felt the nerves melt away a bit, even taking a moment to enjoy watching Oikawa hop back to his spot. The referee tossed him the ball and he took his place. He breathed deep as he dribbled the ball, slowing his heart rate down. His palms grasped the ball lightly as he closed his eyes, focusing every sense in his body. The whistle shrilled through the air, and his eyes snapped back open. He felt his heart pump once and he tossed the ball high, his eyes never leaving it. Across the net, though he did not see it, Kageyama’s eyes widened in shock. Hinata lunged forward, hands swept back to give extra momentum. With a stomp he lifted himself off the ground like a bird taking off in flight, leveling even with the ball. His eyes flicked to the court and he saw with perfect clarity the path he wanted to send it. He whipped his hand into the ball, which shot down its intended path like a bullet and ricocheting off the court floor before anyone from Jutendo could flinch. They were one point ahead.   
He took a minute to collect himself after the onslaught of cheers and hair ruffles. He breathed deep as he heard the whistle blow once again. In almost identical form as his first serve, Hinata tossed the ball and met it in the air, launching it to the other side of the court. This time, however, their Libero was just able to receive it, sending it sailing to Kageyama. It was like time began to slow as Hinata saw with horror the perfect set up. Kageyama locked eyes with Ushijima, the ball spiraled toward his waiting fingers. Ushijima nodded and made his move, lunging toward the net. He hurled himself into the air just in time for the ball to land in Kageyama’s fingers and sail straight for his waiting hand. The gym echoed under the sound of a palm hitting the ball...and then another palm making the same sound. The ball sailed past Ushijima and bounced off his side of the court as he landed in shock. Mirroring him on the other side of the net was Kuroo, his outstretched hands turning pink from the collision with the ball. Tokai won the game.  
The entire auditorium erupted in a deafening cheer. Kuroo nearly crumbled under the onslaught of his teammates barreling into him, Hinata nearly landing on his head. Oikawa let go of Kuroo to peel his boyfriend out of the giant team hug and twirled him around in laughter. A lightness filled Oikawa’s heart as he soaked in the truth: his team had beaten Ushijima. He felt like he could just lay down on the gym floor and go fast asleep.  
“Are we gonna make out right here, Oikawa-san?” Said a sweet voice in his ear, and suddenly the last thing he wanted to do was sleep.  
He laughed, “As much as I’d like to, I think we should wait for a bit more privacy, don’t you think, Hina-chan?” He set Hinata back on his feet and gazed at his face, his hair damp from sweat and a lovely blush across his cheeks.  
“Yup, I’d rather have you to myself,” Hinata replied with a cheeky smirk.   
Oikawa draped his hand over his eyes to block out his unexpectedly seductive boyfriend. “If Sawamura-kun ever hears you talk like this I’m a dead man! He’s gonna think I corrupted you!”   
He heard Hinata giggle and felt a quick press of lips against his own. “Come on, we’ve gotta line up!”  
His palm fell away and he watched Hinata skip over to the net. “I’m a dead man already,” he whispered under his breath, a small smile on his lips.   
They lined up and shook hands with the person across from them. Kageyama stared down at Hinata, his face screwing up strangely several times.  
“What’s with you, Kageyama?” Hinata asked, genuinely concerned his friend’s brain might be short circuiting.  
“I don’t know, just...good game,” he mumbled.  
“It was a good game! You’ve improved a lot!”  
He shrugged. “So have you. How the hell did you learn to do a jump serve? You can hardly do a normal serve!”  
Hinata blushed, “Oh, I had a _really_ good teacher.”  
Kageyama glowered, and his eyes flickered over to Oikawa who was weaving around his teammates to avoid sharing any words with Ushijima. “Do you—do you think he’s better than me?”  
Hinata was stunned by the question. There was a touch of sadness in his friend’s voice, which strangely made him feel a bit relieved. It meant a small piece of Kageyama missed playing with him. “Well….it’s kinda tough to say. I’d say there are a couple things you might be better at.” He leaned toward Kageyama and gave him a big grin. “But I can safely say there’s a lot he’s _way_ better at!”  
“You-!” He lunged under the net to grab him, but Hinata ran away easily leaving a stream of giggles hanging in the air. He found safety within Oikawa’s arms and together they scurried off to the locker room.   
“Let’s get out of here before Ushiwaka catches either of us. Knowing him he’ll try to steal you away onto his team next year.” Oikawa whispered urgently, looking over his shoulder.   
Hinata laughed and nuzzled into him, ignoring how sweaty they both were. “Don’t worry, he couldn’t pay me enough to join his team.” He lifted his face and met Oikawa’s warm gaze. “I belong to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I hope you all enjoyed it! Stay tuned for a brief epilogue to patch it up.  
> PS After this game Kuroo was pretty much elected to be next season’s captain, he kicked ass


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue and an extra treat!

**A year and a half later...**

Hinata collapsed on the floor after shoving another box against the wall to be sorted later. He craned his head back to see the label on the side: _Trophies and Medals_. He groaned, but it ended in a chuckle. Throughout the day he’d come to the conclusion that everything his _roommate_ owned was ten times heavier than his. He had been left to deal with a lot of the organization, so he sighed and heaved himself up, glancing around at the mountains of boxes and blanket covered furniture. A big part of him wanted to whip the blankets off and make a kickass fort, but he knew there was another delivery of boxes about to arrive and he had to make more room. Wiping the sweat off his brow he got back to work, checking the labels first to work through the lighter boxes, knowing he’d make better progress that way.  
Most of the boxes had been shoved into their prospective rooms when Hinata heard arguing coming down the hall. He grinned and jumped up to open the door, knowing their hands would be full. He swung the door open and flinched at the violent tone of the voice echoing off the walls.  
“Dammit Shittykawa, what the hell do you have in these boxes?! If I open it and find bricks or bowling balls I’m gonna shove one up your ass.”  
“Rude, Iwa-chan! Wait, hold up, let me see what’s in there.”  
Hinata watched from the doorway as Iwaizumi and Oikawa stopped, and the latter craning his head around to peer at the label of the bottom box in Iwaizumi’s arms.  
“Oh those are just my hair products!”  
“Why would hair products weigh this much?!”  
Oikawa chuckled, “Of course you wouldn’t know that, Iwa-chan. You wouldn’t know a hair product if it smacked you across the face.”  
Iwaizumi was about to drop the box of offending hair products and throttle Oikawa when they heard a giggle.  
“Shou-chan!!” Oikawa cried, dropped his boxes and threw his arms around Hinata. “Did you miss me?”  
“You idiot, we’ve only been gone an hour. It would have been quicker if you had everything ready to go like I asked,” Iwaizumi grumbled as he shuffled through the doorway under the weight of his boxes.  
“Of course I missed you,Tooru-san” Hinata said shyly, nuzzling his face into Oikawa’s chest. Oikawa pursed his lips as his cheeks grew warm. They’d been together nearly two years, yet he still felt like his heart would break from his boyfriend’s sweetness.  
“So...are you two gonna help or stand there like two love struck idiots?”  
With a mutual giggle they went back inside, Oikawa bending back down to pick up his dropped boxes.  
“Here, let me help you with that, Iwaizumi-san!” Cried Hinata as he bounded up and snatched the top box in front of Iwaizumi’s face. With a groan Iwaizumi squatted down to place the other two on the floor.  
“Thanks Hinata, at least _someone’s_ being helpful.”  
“You know, Iwa-chan, I think you’re growing weak from not playing volleyball for so long. Maybe you need to workout more?”  
An ominous growl began to grow in Iwaizumi’s chest. His anger was nearly escalated to dangerous proportions when Hinata popped back in front of him to retrieve the next box.  
“I think you look great, Iwaizumi-san! I’d still be afraid to receive one of your spikes!”  
Iwaizumi looked down at the genuine smile shining up at him. He smiled back and ruffled Hinata’s hair, all his anger completely dissipated. Shaking his head he sighed, “Hinata, what did a pure soul like you ever do to end up with such an asshole?”  
They heard a dramatic gasp from behind the sofa where Oikawa was separating the boxes he had just laid down. “Excuse me, but Shou-chan _loves_ me. You’re only jealous cuz you haven’t dated in over a year.”  
Instead of angrily retorting, Iwaizumi bent down to look Hinata in the eyes, his hands grasping his shoulders. “Just remember,” he continued as if Oikawa had not said anything at all, “I’m just down the hall if you need anything, or if you need to escape. Just say the word, okay?”  
Hinata giggled at Iwaizumi’s serious tone and nodded.  
Oikawa glared at them from across the room. “Iwa-chan, if I didn’t know better I’d say you were hitting on my boyfriend.”  
Hinata saw a flicker of something in Iwaizumi’s hazel eyes, and a slight smirk appear at the corner of his lips. “You know, Hinata...I think you _can_ do better than this idiot here.” He said slyly, straightening up and wrapping his arms across Hinata’s back, bringing their bodies closer. Hinata pressed his lips together to keep from laughing and allowed Iwaizumi to pull him in. Oikawa’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Iwaizumi brought one hand up to cup Hinata’s cheek and guide his face up close to his. “What do you say, Hinata?” His voice had dropped into an almost seductive tone.  
With a squeal Oikawa launched himself over the sofa and pried his boyfriend out of Iwaizumi’s still very muscular arms. “Nooooooooooo! You can’t have him, he’s mine, Iwa-chan!” He stuck his tongue out as he dragged Hinata’s body toward the door. “Come on, Shou-chan, let’s go grab something for lunch!”  
“Now, now, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said, walking languidly after them. “You don’t _need_ Hinata to grab lunch, do you?”  
Oikawa turned his scowling face toward Iwaizumi as he attempted to shove his feet back into his shoes as Hinata sat on the floor to do the same. “I’m not gonna leave him home alone with _you_ , Lecher!” And with that Oikawa dragged Hinata out the door and slammed it behind him, leaving a chuckling Iwaizumi behind in their apartment.  
*  
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Bonus  
Iwaizumi pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the time. Oikawa and Hinata had been gone for 45 minutes already, leaving him to do most of the organizing in an apartment that wasn’t even his. He growled as he typed out an angry message to his supposed best friend and shoved the phone back in his pocket. He picked up another heavy box marked _Pots and Pans_ and stomped off into their cozy kitchen. He bent down and swung open a cabinet door and yelped in surprise, falling backward onto his butt. Inside the dark cabinet was a curled up body with his face illuminated only by the games he was playing.  
“Sorry,” Kenma said softly, “I got tired of helping.”  
Iwaizumi chuckled as his heart rate began to slow. He had met Hinata’s good friend a couple times before and knew him to be quiet, and not very enthusiastic about social situations. It amazed him that both him and Hinata would have such a good friendship, but then he thought about his own with Oikawa and it instantly made more sense.  
“You’re fine, you just startled me that’s all. You can come out though, we’re the only ones here.”  
Kenma gave him a small smile and slipped silently out of the cabinet. He looked like a little kitten wrapped up in a blanket the way his oversized hoodie dwarfed his slender body, and Iwaizumi resisted the urge to stroke his silky black and blonde strands.  
“How long were you in there?”  
Kenma shrugged, but then his face flushed red as a low growl escaped from his stomach. “A while,” he said, looking embarrassed.  
Iwaizumi smiled. “Well, the two lovebirds are supposed to be bringing back food, but it’s been too long. I think I saw a box of instant ramen around here, want me to poke around?”  
Kenma gave him a small smile and nodded.  
Iwaizumi rummaged through the boxes on the floor while Kenma hopped up on the counter, fiddling with his hoodie string as he watched. Upon finding the elusive box, Iwaizumi pulled out a couple boxes and began fixing them up. As soon as they were done he set them beside Kenma on the counter and hopped up beside him. They began eating in silence, but after some food in his belly Kenma opened up into some quiet conversation.

Iwaizumi was drastically different when he was not around Oikawa, Kenma began to realize. Before he had seemed perpetually angry though strangely fond of his best friend, but here in the quiet apartment he struck Kenma as calm and incredibly considerate. The nerves that typically plagued him when around someone he hardly knew faded away as he chatted between mouthfuls. Long after they had finished eating they remained on the kitchen counter, swapping ridiculous stories about their enthusiastic friends and offering each other advise on how to handle them.  
“You know, I told Hinata this earlier, but if you’re ever hanging out here and they get too noisy, you can always escape to my place. I’m just down the hall.”  
Kenma felt his pulse quicken as Iwaizumi smiled warmly down at him. He swallowed and nodded. “Thanks...I may have to.” Iwaizumi chuckled softly, and the sound incited goosebumps to flicker down Kenma’s spine. He looked away to glance around the messy kitchen, hoping his cheeks weren’t as red as they felt. He flinched when he felt fingers slide down a strand of his hair.  
“Sorry!” Iwaizumi said apologetically when he flipped his head quickly back to him, but the fingers remained in his hair. “Y-You have something stuck in your hair. Probably some fuzz that was floating around in that cabinet.”  
“Oh...ok,” Kenma said quietly, and though his heart was pounding he leaned slightly closer to Iwaizumi so he could remove the offending fuzz.  
“There, got it.” Iwaizumi said as he slipped his fingers out of the bright blond wisp of hair with a fluffy white fuzz in his grasp.  
“Thanks,” Kenma said, biting his lips as he looked down at the floor.  
“Your...your hair is really soft. Don’t tell me you use a mountain of hair products like Oikawa.”  
Kenma smiled, “No, I wouldn’t know what to do with that stuff. I just dye it.”  
Iwaizumi smiled back at him, his eyes flickering over Kenma’s hair and face. The moment was strangely intimate, yet surprisingly comfortable, even as they both sat there blushing.  
“Well, well, well…” said a sly voice from the kitchen entrance. They both turned to see Oikawa standing there, a mischievous smirk on his face and his arms full of take-out. “I do hope we’re not interrupting something.”  
Iwaizumi coughed and glared at his friend, hopping down from the counter. “What took you so long, Shittykawa? Did you go to Osaka for food or something?”  
Oikawa shrugged, “Actually it took us forever to decide what we wanted. Are you two still hungry after feasting your eyes on each other?” His grin began to turn obnoxious as he sat the food down on the counter and began to take stuff out.  
“Watch it,” Iwaizumi replied with a deadly tone.  
Hinata popped in with positive energy, completely ignorant of the impending demise of his meddling boyfriend. “Oh Kenma, I thought you left! I’m glad you’re here, we grabbed your favorite just in case.”  
“I was hiding in the cabinet.”  
Oikawa frowned and looked down at the cabinet in confusion, but Hinata nodded as if it was a normal occurrence. “Thanks for coaxing him out, Iwaizumi-san. If he was playing his games in there he might’ve spend the night in there!”  
Iwaizumi huffed out a laugh as he helped Oikawa spread out the food. “Sure...it was my pleasure.”  
They all settled into eating and laughing at each other, even Kenma sending Hinata a few teasing remarks. Iwaizumi had once been worried that the dynamic between him and Oikawa would be strange now that Hinata was part of the mix, but he was pleased with how comfortable it ended up being. If anything it was even more fun, especially when they could gang up on Oikawa. And then there was Kenma. Iwaizumi glanced over at the blonde still curled up on the counter, who smiled and blushed when they caught each other’s eyes. Yup, he had a good feeling about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that’s the end, I do hope you all enjoyed it! I may still add some one shots within this series, I know I have at least one more Bokuto/Tsukki fic I’m working on, I may add a smutty one for Oikawa and Hinata, and maybe one for Iwaizumi and Kenma? Not sure, we’ll see. If you comment about wanting to see more one shots within the series, I’ll be much more encouraged to pursue it!! Thanks again for those who stuck with me to the end, I appreciate all of you :)


End file.
